The Ties That Bind
by weshallflyaway2
Summary: The entire academy was abuzz with gossip. Nothing this exciting had happened since… well, since they arrived in the academy a month ago. Captain Rajveer's wife was coming to KMA.
1. Prologue

-Prologue-

Mr Ahluwalia cried as he watched his son's funeral pyre burn, Navin hadn't deserved to die this way. He should have died as a hero, a martyr, not stained with the accusation of being a traitor. Almost nobody had attended the funeral, no one had wanted to be associated with their family. It made Mr Ahluwalia worry about what the future had in store for his family, how could they survive all this hatred and alienation?

He wiped his tears and then stared past the pyre, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him. There on the other side of the fire, stood a young army officer, tears in his eyes. The young man was saying something, as if talking to the fire, but Mr Ahluwalia couldn't make out the words. Then the officer saluted and abruptly walked off. Mr Ahluwalia wondered whether he had imagined it, certainly he hadn't expected any of Navin's friends to turn up today, so who was this man?

His question would have to wait to be answered, but the sight of that one officer who had come to salute his son gave Mr Ahluwalia a hope that had been missing for months.

A hope that one day Navin's lost pride and honour would be returned to him.

_Four years later…_

The entire academy was abuzz with gossip. Nothing this exciting had happened since… well, since they arrived in the academy a month ago. Sure, that wasn't a very long time, but anything which distracted the cadets from their tough drills and boring lessons was welcome to them.

The news had spread quickly and in less than two hours, every single cadet and faculty member knew.

Captain Rajveer's wife was coming to KMA.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter One

The gossip had been spread by an orderly who had heard Captain Rajveer discussing it with Brigadier Chandook. Once the news spread around the orderlies, it was only a matter of time before Suriji found out, and from there to Lolita, Dr. Shalini and the rest of the faculty. The cadets found out when Pooja Ghai heard Suriji telling Dr. Shalini, and then it spread amongst them too.

"I didn't even know he was married." Ritu commented to Shalini, sounding slightly annoyed at that fact.

"Don't sound so put out, Ritu." Shalini told her, "I know he's the cutest member of staff here but honestly you should've realized by now, didn't you see the ring on his finger?" Shalini made it sound like it was completely and utterly obvious.

"But he never said anything!" Ritu protested, she couldn't believe that the brief on Captain Rajveer hadn't mentioned he was married. How was she supposed to do her job without the proper information?

"Did you ever ask him if he was married?"

"Well, no. But he should have told us!"

"Look Ritu, Captain Rajveer is a very private person; you should know that by now." Shalini told her. "He never talks about himself unless he has to."

Ritu was just glad that Shalini didn't know the real reason for her annoyance. She would have to plan her next steps carefully now this wife of the Captain's was arriving…

/

Raj waited at the bus station nervously, there were thirty minutes until she was due to arrive and he still couldn't work out how he'd gotten himself into this mess.

That was right, BC.

Brigadier Chandook had noticed that Raj appeared to be very popular amongst the female cadets. It had only been a month since the first year cadets had arrived in KMA, and already the Captain had received who knows how many love letters and cards.

It had all become a bit too much and Brigadier Chandook had been sick of it, he needed discipline in his academy so he had called Captain Rajveer into his office.

Raj hadn't known the reason that he was being called in, and had sat there waiting for BC to say something.

"Captain Rajveer, I'm sure you've noticed that you're rather popular among the female cadets." Brigadier Chandook had pointed out.

"Uh, yes Sir." Raj had answered, not quite sure where this was heading. "I try to discourage it but…"

"I know it's not your fault Captain, but I thought that perhaps we could have a little heart to heart talk." Brigadier Chandook told him.

Raj had immediately become more alert, 'BC' and 'heart to heart' should never occur within the same sentence in his opinion.

"About what, Sir?" Raj asked, suddenly nervous about what the Brigadier was about to bring up.

"Well Captain, I was wondering why you hadn't settled down yet," the Brigadier had begun, "You're already a Captain and your career is going well, you're handsome, smart, and well settled. When are you planning on getting married?"

"Well, uh, Sir…" Raj had fidgeted uncomfortably; this was the last conversation he wanted to be having right now.

"There isn't any lack of females around here, Captain, and most of them like a man in uniform. I'm sure if you were to find yourself a girlfriend, then the female cadets would pay less attention to you and more attention to their studies."

"I'm sorry Sir, but I can't do that." Raj had told BC, hoping that he would drop the subject.

"And why not, Captain?" BC had asked, frowning slightly as if to say he was unhappy with how Raj had responded. "I can't order you to do it, but if the female cadets continue to remain distracted in this way then I'll be forced to request for you to be reassigned from this academy."

Raj panicked. It was important to his mission to remain here, not only to catch the spy and protect the triggers but also because it might be his last chance to prove Navin's innocence.

"Because I'm already married!" Raj blurted out.

The room was so silent that you could've heard a pin drop.

"Why didn't I know that?" Brigadier Chandook asked, amazed at this piece of information.

"Well, Sir, we had a very small and private wedding. I didn't feel it was necessary to inform anybody."

"Then where is your wife now?" Brigadier Chandook had asked, slightly suspicious, "Why isn't she with you here?"

"Sir, she's still finishing her medical studies, I thought it would be wrong for me to interrupt her education by asking her to come here."

"Don't be ridiculous Captain, there is an excellent medical college here in town that she can gain admission to."

"But Sir, I…"

"No ifs or buts, Captain!" Brigadier Chandook told him, "I want your wife here at KMA by the end of the month or I will request that you be posted elsewhere."

Raj had wished that he could have thought up some lie, but the truth was out now. There was nothing more he could do except call his mother-in-law and ask her if her daughter would agree to join him here. After two days she had called him back, saying that his wife would be there in a week and that they were already arranging to transfer her admission to the local college.

Raj was understandably nervous; he hadn't seen her since their marriage two years ago. He hadn't even talked to her since then. He had no idea what she thought about him or whether she was happy to be coming or not.

Raj was shaken out of his thoughts by the arrival of the bus, and he stepped forward, searching for her face in the crowd of passengers exiting. She was one of the last ones to come out, her steps hesitant, almost reluctant.

There, with one suitcase in her hand, stood Naina Singh Shekhawat, formerly Ahluwalia.

His wife had arrived.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Two years earlier…

For the third time, Raj drove past the Ahluwalia's house, unable to find the courage to actually go up to the house and talk to them. Banging his fist down on the steering wheel he abruptly pulled the car up to the side of the road, and got out. Enough was enough, what was the worst that could possibly happen? Even if they hated him, even if they abused him, they still deserved to know the truth about their son.

Walking to the door slowly, Raj forced himself not to simply run back to the car. With a trembling hand, he knocked on the door and waited.

Half a minute passed before it was opened, and Navin's mother stared at the strange young man at her doorstep, wondering what he wanted. "Yes?"

"Ma'am… I wanted to talk to you and your family, you see, I was Navin's batch mate, his friend and I…"

"Who is it?" A frail sounding voice called out from inside the house.

"It's one of Navin's friends," Mrs Ahluwalia replied, "He wants to talk to us."

"Then let him inside." The voice called out again, and Mrs Ahluwalia gestured to Raj to come in.

Mr Ahluwalia sat on a chair by the fire, looking far more frail and unwell than he had when Raj had seen him at the funeral two years ago.

"Hello Sir," Raj told him, before sitting down in the chair opposite.

"I've seen you somewhere before," Navin's father mused, and then suddenly realization dawned. "You were at Navin's cremation. It was you, wasn't it?"

"Yes Sir, it was me." Raj replied sadly.

"You left before I could talk to you."

"I'm sorry, Sir." Raj replied, "At the time I didn't have the courage to stay and talk to you, I've come to make up for that today."

"Naina!" Mr Ahluwalia called out, and a young woman came into the room. Raj knew that she was Navin's sister, but was struck with the difference in how she appeared and how Navin had described her. Navin had said that his sister was fun loving and extremely mischievous, but this young woman had an air of sadness about her as if she had already given up on life, there was nothing in her that spoke of fun and mischief.

"Yes Baba," she answered quietly.

"Beti, bring some tea and snacks for our guest." Her father told her, and nodding, Naina left the room and headed for the kitchen to join her mother. Within two minutes she and Mrs Ahluwalia were back, and Naina handed Raj a cup of tea, keeping her eyes cast down as she did so.

"Thank you," Raj murmured, and she nodded slightly in response before going to join her mother on the couch.

"What's your name, Beta?" Navin's father asked him.

"Rajveer Singh Shekhawat, Sir."

Mr Ahluwalia thought for a moment, "Yes, I remember your name," he told Raj, "Navin mentioned you in many of his letters. You were his best friend, weren't you?"

"Yes Sir, I was." Raj replied, a lump rising in his throat as he thought about Navin.

"So what is it that you wanted to talk to us about?"

"Sir, I don't know how I'm going to tell you this, or what you'll think of me afterwards, but you deserve to know the truth." Raj said in one breath, wanting to get it out before he lost his courage. "I should've come to see you a long time ago, but I was never brave enough."

"Then tell us, Beta." Mr Ahluwalia answered, "These past two years all we've wanted to know is the truth, if you can let us know what really happened to Navin then we'll be very grateful."

And Raj began to tell them. He told them how there was no possibility that Navin could have been a traitor, and how he had definitely been trapped by somebody. Then Raj told them the truth that he had hidden inside himself for the last two years, a truth that had weighed him down; a burden on his soul. He told them about the last time he had seen Navin, and about how he had been the one to kill him after his friend begged him to do so.

When he finished, Raj looked up, tears filling his eyes. He felt more relieved than anything else, happy to finally have this dark secret out in the open. He had expected to see hatred in their eyes, or anger, but all he could see in Navin's parents eyes was sorrow, and perhaps… compassion. He couldn't see how Navin's sister has reacted because she was still not looking at him, keeping her head down as she cried quietly.

"Believe me when I say that I never wanted to kill Navin," Raj told them, trying not to cry, "Since that day I've died a thousand deaths myself. But Navin gave me no other option, and I couldn't condemn him to suffer more…"

"Its okay, Beta, we understand." Mr Ahluwalia replied quietly.

Raj looked at him in surprise, this wasn't the response he had expected.

"When we visited Navin in jail, we saw how he was suffering." Mr Ahluwalia told Raj gently, "They had tortured him so badly, and he was in so much pain, defeated and broken. You didn't kill my son, you set him free."

Mrs Ahluwalia nodded in agreement with her husband's words, seeing her son suffering like that had affected her terribly. In the end, while she hated the choice that Raj had to make, she understood it.

Naina said nothing, and neither did she respond, instead she continued to cry with her head down.

"Sir, I promise that I won't give up until I've proven your son innocent." Raj told them emotionally, "I will get Navin back his lost honour; I will make this entire country accept that Navin was the best and most honest soldier it has ever seen."

"Thank you, Beta." Navin's father replied tiredly, "At least somebody will fight for him. After Navin's death we've suffered… everybody has abandoned us, we were forced to leave our home, and…" he stopped speaking, unable to say anything else.

"Just tell me, Sir. Tell me how I can help you and I will," Raj begged him, "I'll make up for taking your son away from you, just let me know how."

Mr Ahluwalia was silent for a moment, and when he answered, it was with something that Raj could never have expected.

"If you really mean it, Beta, then marry my daughter Naina."

For the first time, Naina looked up, staring at her father in shock. Raj was struck by how beautiful her eyes were, and he quickly looked away. "Baba…" Naina began to protest, only to be shushed by her mother.

"Sir, how could I do that?" Raj asked him, "I'm not… I mean, you can find somebody better than me for your daughter."

"Look, Beta, in the past two years we have tried to get our daughter married three times, all three proposals have fallen through, the last one only two days before the engagement. Nobody will marry her due to the stain on our family's name."

"But Sir, I promise you that I will prove Navin's innocence." Raj told him, "Your daughter is still young, after Navin's honour has been returned; you'll be able to find any boy for your daughter."

"I don't have that long." Mr. Ahluwalia replied, and Raj looked at him properly for the first time, noting the greyness of his face, the tremor in his voice. "I'm dying, and I don't know how I should face my son when I meet him. How can I leave Naina and her mother with no support here? How can I tell Navin that I didn't settle his sister's life before I left?"

"Sir, I…" Raj didn't know what to say, he had no words in reply to what Mr. Ahluwalia had just said.

"You can refuse," Mr. Ahluwalia told him, "And I won't blame you for that. But if you want to do anything to make up for taking my son away from me, then do this for me. This family needs your support."

With these words, Raj realized that he couldn't refuse. Glancing across at Naina, he found her face completely blank of any emotion as she stared at her father.

"Sir, I can't refuse your request." Raj told him quietly, "I'll do as you say. But at least Naina should agree to this too."

Abruptly Naina stood up and left the room, her mother following her quickly while Raj sat awkwardly with Navin's father, not sure what he should be saying or doing.

After about fifteen minutes, Mrs Ahluwalia returned, but her daughter wasn't with her.

"Naina has agreed." She told Navin's father, who nodded, a slight smile on his face.

"Sir, when would you like to hold the wedding?" Raj had asked him, "I'm only on leave until tomorrow afternoon then I have to report to my duty again."

"Then we'll hold the wedding tomorrow morning." Mr. Ahluwalia told him, "Come to our house at 10am if you haven't changed your mind. If you don't turn up then we won't blame you."

Raj had tossed and turned all night, thinking about what the next day would bring. But in the morning he had gotten up early, showered, and put on his dress uniform. It was the only suitable thing he had with him to wear to his own wedding.

He arrived at the house at 9:55 and knocked on the door, When Mrs. Ahluwalia opened it to see him standing there, she smiled in relief. "I'm glad you've turned up," she told him, "I was almost afraid that you wouldn't."

Raj helped Mr Ahluwalia to the car while Mrs Ahluwalia went upstairs to fetch Naina. When she exited the house, Raj was taken aback. She was wearing a silk sari which Raj guessed may even have been her mother's wedding sari. They had tied jasmine to her hair, and adorned her in simple gold ornaments. Navin's sister was beautiful and under any other circumstances, Raj would have been very happy to be getting married to her. He tried not to glance at her in the rearview mirror, wondering what it was that she was thinking and feeling right now. Just because she had agreed, it didn't mean that she was happy about this marriage.

When they reached the temple they completed the ceremonies quickly, garlanding each other and then sitting through the mantras, completing the pheres and other rituals. Naina's parents both had tears in their eyes as they watched, and Mrs Ahluwalia could see that for the first time since her husband's cancer had been diagnosed, he seemed to be at peace, knowing that his daughter would be looked after.

During the ceremony, Raj only caught Naina looking at him once, but as soon as she knew he had noticed, she looked away again. She seemed determined not to meet his eyes and he wondered why it was. Did she hate him, was she scared of him, or was she only as nervous as he was?

After the ceremony they swapped rings which Naina's mother had bought the day before, and Raj was amazed by how small and delicate Naina's hands were when he held one in his, slipping the ring onto her finger. Afterwards they had gone to the registry office, where they had both signed the necessary papers, and then Raj had dropped them all back home. Naina had disappeared to the kitchen; Raj wondered whether she was using the excuse of making tea to avoid him.

"I would like it if Naina could stay with us… until the end." Mr Ahluwalia had told Raj, knowing that the day of his death wasn't far off.

"Of course," Raj had replied quietly, "I think that's for the best. I'm about to be assigned to a mission that could be quite dangerous, I wouldn't be able to look after Naina properly for awhile anyway."

"She'll be continuing her education," Mr. Ahluwalia informed him, "She's studying medicine."

Raj nodded, realizing how little he knew about the girl he had married. He had only met her yesterday and they had never even had a proper conversation.

He had left shortly after that, using the excuse of needing to arrive early to report to his seniors. Glancing back at the house, he had seen Naina watching him through one of the windows and had lifted a hand to wave goodbye, surprised when she returned the gesture. She had seemed to be surprised about it too, hurriedly closing the curtain and stepping away.

Five months later, Mr Ahluwalia had died. Raj had wanted to attend the funeral, but was unable to due to the mission he was on. Before Mr. Ahluwalia's death, Raj had taken over paying the medical bills, and Naina's college fees, feeling that it was the least he could do for them and not allowing them to refuse. After her father's death, Raj continued to pay her college fees, and also sent most of his wage to Naina and her mother, knowing that otherwise they would struggle to support themselves.

He had called them up occasionally to check how they were, but had only ever spoken to Naina's mother. They had both agreed that it was best that Naina stay with Mrs Ahluwalia until her education was completed. Raj had also written letters, always addressing them to Mrs Ahluwalia but secretly hoping that Naina would read them as well.

And so for the past two years, nobody had ever even realized that he had gotten married. Even Raj sometimes felt that it had only been a dream, something that had never happened at all.

But now two years after their wedding, a wife that he barely knew stood in front of him.

Raj had never been more nervous in his entire life.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

Marriage hadn't been so bad for Naina as long as she hadn't actually had to live with her husband. Her father had died peacefully; content to know that she and her mother would be provided for. At college no boys ever bothered her, knowing that her husband was a Captain in the army. In many ways the marriage had returned some of her family's lost honour to them.

It was because of this that Naina had agreed to the marriage in the first place, after her mother had asked her to. She could never refuse her father's dying wish, her last opportunity to do something to bring him happiness.

And so she had married a stranger.

A stranger who had killed her brother.

She had thought about it many times since the marriage, about whether she hated him for what he did or whether she could forgive him. In the first days after the marriage she had almost believed that she did hate him. However every time she saw the smile on her father's face, or thought about what they had said about her brother's torture, that hatred faded.

She couldn't hate him for something that hadn't been in his control, for something that he'd been forced to do.

Instead she had felt sorry for him. After everything else, he had been forced to accept a wife that he had never wanted in the first place; he had sacrificed his own desires in order to make her family happy.

None of this changed the fact that Naina barely knew him, and that she had no idea what his own feelings about their marriage were. When he had called her mother it had sounded as if he had no other choice except to call her there and that was why he was doing so. But after he had done her family so many favours, how could she refuse to go and join him?

She knew that the only reason she had been able to continue studying at all was because he had been the one to pay her college fees, the only reason that her father had died comfortably was because Captain Shekhawat had provided the best treatment possible for him.

So she had packed her things up, said goodbye to her mother and friends, and boarded a bus.

For the past two years the most contact she had had with him had been seeing the photo of the two of them taken after their marriage ceremony which sat on a side table in the lounge room and reading the letters he sent. Her mother had always encouraged her to reply, but every time that Naina tried, she could never think of anything to write. There were some things that just couldn't be said in a letter, after all. And when she'd never spoken to him properly in person how was she supposed to pour out her feelings on paper?

And now here he was in front of her, and she had no idea what to say or how to act.

"Hi," he finally said somewhat awkwardly, "How was your journey?"

"It was fine," Naina replied quietly, "I managed to get some sleep on the bus."

She realized it was the first proper sentence she'd ever spoken to him.

"Thank you for coming," Raj told her sincerely, "I know it must have been hard for you to leave your mother, but it really is important. There are some things I need to tell you, if you're not too tired then we can go somewhere to talk…"

Naina just nodded, at a loss for what else she should be saying.

Reaching out, Raj took her suitcase before she could protest and then gestured for her to follow him to his jeep. He kept glancing at her as they walked, trying to convince himself that she actually really was there with him. After two years of almost no contact with her, it seemed unreal to finally have her here by his side.

They drove in silence and Raj tried hard not to steal glances at her in the rearview mirror. He could see the difference that two years had made to her, she seemed more mature than she had the last time he saw her, and slightly more confident. She no longer looked down at the ground as often as she had on the day that they met. However she still had that quiet sadness about her which so touched his heart.

Seeing her sitting there so quietly he felt a strong urge to protect her from any further harm, no matter what it was. In her short life she had already suffered far too much from the loss of both a brother and a father. He could only imagine what humiliation and taunts their family had endured after Navin was convicted of being a traitor. There was nothing that Raj could do to fix the past, but he was definitely going to do his best to ensure that her future was as happy as possible.

Eventually he pulled up at a small café a short distance from KMA. Leaving Naina's suitcase in the jeep, they walked inside and Raj searched for a table at the back where they could talk properly without being disturbed. Once their coffees had arrived and the waiter had left, Raj knew it was time that he started the conversation. There were many things that they needed to get sorted out before they arrived at the academy. Once they were there, he knew that all eyes would be on them, and neither of them could afford to make any mistakes.

Naina was stirring sugar into her coffee while pretending not to watch him from under her eyelashes. She could tell that he was trying to work up the courage to talk to her, and was still searching for the right words to say. The first few days definitely weren't going to be easy for them.

Finally after a silence that seemed to stretch on for ages, Raj knew he had to begin somehow.

"I know how difficult this is for you, Naina," Raj told her, "And how awkward it is too. We might be married but we've never spent any time together, it will take awhile for us to get used to each other, and be comfortable with one another."

Naina nodded, she had been thinking exactly the same thing and she was glad that he understood. After all, today was the first time that they'd actually been alone together, having a proper conversation. Before this the two times they had met her parents had been there, and they had barely said a word to each other.

"There's a reason I called you here, Naina." He told her, and Naina looked up from where she was once again stirring her coffee, even though the sugar had long since dissolved. "I'm not only posted in KMA as a teacher, I'm also on special duty there. The same special duty that Navin was carrying out when he was accused of being a traitor."

Naina's hand froze in mid action as if she was unable to put the spoon down and she concentrated completely on what he was saying.

"I know this information will be a shock to you." Raj continued, speaking quietly. "But I felt it was important that you know. As well as carrying out my duty, I hope that I'll be able to uncover some more information about who it was who framed Navin and how it was done."

"Bhaiyya was on duty there when he was accused?" Naina asked, shocked at this information. "What type of duty?" Her parents had never revealed these things to her, since she had only been seventeen at the time her brother had been convicted, they had tried to keep her away from the case as much as possible.

"I'm sorry Naina, but I can't tell you that." Raj replied regretfully, "I shouldn't have even let you know that I'm there for any reason other than teaching but I felt that you deserved to know."

Naina nodded gravely, accepting his decision not to tell her. She remembered when her brother hadn't been able to tell her about his missions for reasons of secrecy. "I understand," she reassured him seriously, "I won't let anybody else know about it."

"Thank you," Raj told her, "Now before we leave there's one more very important thing. Nobody in the academy should find out that you're Navin's sister."

Raj saw the sadness in her eyes and immediately regretted his words, knowing that she was going to misunderstand his reasons. He wanted to explain himself but Naina was already nodding unquestioningly. How many times over the last four years had she had to hide her identity? How many times had she had to pretend that she never had a brother at all?

"Don't ever think that I'm ashamed of my friendship with Navin, or ashamed that you're his sister." Raj told her fiercely, and Naina stared at him as if it was the last thing she had expected to hear. "The reason I don't want anybody to know is because if they have some information about Navin's case they might not reveal it to me once they know my wife is his sister."

For the first time since she had arrived, for the first time since they had met two years ago in fact, Naina really looked at the man who was her husband. He had a kind face, an earnest and honest face. It was the face of somebody that you could rely on, somebody who would never let you down or betray you. She met his eyes properly, hoping he could see in hers that she believed him. As much as she was afraid of being let down again, Naina wanted to trust him, and she wanted to be able to rely on him.

Because ever since Navin's death, there had been nobody for her to rely on. She had had to be the strong one for her parents, supporting them first through the case, then her father's illness, and then afterwards caring for her mother. And if there was one thing that Naina was used to, then it was realizing that nobody else could be relied on, because they would all abandon you when they found out the truth.

"I…" But she has been silent for so many years that suddenly when she had the opportunity to speak it was difficult to find the words. And so she simply said the first thing that came into her mind, the thing she had been wondering ever since the phone call came for her to join him here. "I'm not sure what I should call you," she told him, "I mean, what name…"

"You can call me Rajveer," Raj replied with a smile, "Or Raj if you prefer it. If you call me anything else then people at the academy will definitely become suspicious."

Naina smiled at this too, trying to imagine the reactions of people if she went around calling her husband 'Captain Shekhawat', which was what she used to refer to him as at home with her mother.

"So shall we leave for the academy?" Raj asked her, "I'm sorry if I'm hurrying you, but I have a class to teach which starts in half an hour. I'll have to leave you by yourself for some time."

"That's fine," Naina told him, a little bit more relaxed now, "I'll settle in, unpack my things. Will I be able to call Ma to tell her I arrived safely?"

"Of course," Raj told her, as they paid the bill and walked to the car. "I'll send someone to take you to the phone, unfortunately I haven't got a connection in my room yet."

They drove to the academy in silence, but fortunately the atmosphere was a little less tense now that they had had the opportunity to actually talk to each other.

As they entered the gates, Naina felt a strange apprehension. This was the place where her brother was trapped by somebody, the place where he was accused of being a traitor. Was it possible that they might be able to uncover the truth or would this place once again take away her only support in life? One which she had only just found?

Raj walked Naina to his room, carrying her suitcase. He was thankful that all of the cadets were currently in their classes so that they would attract only minimal attention. Still, he noticed that all of the orderlies were staring at them, obviously having nothing better to do.

They entered his quarters and Naina looked around, knowing that this was going to be her new home for at least awhile. The place was tidy, she shouldn't have been surprised, she knew that soldiers were usually very careful about their things, and he probably had somebody come in to clean for him too.

"Well this is it," Raj announced, "I know it's not much, but I hope you'll be comfortable here." He led her through the living room and entered the bedroom where he placed her suitcase down. "The bathroom is through that door," he told her, "And there should be more than enough room for you in the closet, but if there's not, you can shift some of my things."

Naina just nodded and gave him a small smile, trying to let him know that she would be fine.

"Well then, I'll leave you to settle in," Raj told her, "I'll be gone for about an hour and then after that I'll show you around the academy, if there's anything you need before then, one of the orderlies will help you."

With one last glance back to reassure himself that she would be alright he left, closing the door behind him.

Naina unzipped her suitcase and began to unpack, placing her clothes into the closet. It was only when she had finished and sat down on the bed to rest that she noticed what had escaped her attention until then.

There on his bedside table sat the same photo of them on the day of their wedding as the one that was in their living room at home.

Picking up the photo, Naina gazed down at it. Two years seemed like such a long time ago now. Neither of them was smiling in the photo, instead they looked straight ahead at the camera, serious expressions on their faces. The only sign that it was a marriage photo at all was Naina's outfit and the garlands around both of their necks.

Their marriage might not have had the best beginnings, but now two years later she had finally joined her husband. Naina wanted to believe that the future would hold better things for her, that finally there might be some happiness, but she was weary of hoping for too much.

She had learnt the hard way that nothing in her life would ever be easy.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

"Captain!"

Raj had been heading down the corridor towards his classroom when the familiar voice called out to him. He turned around to find Dr. Shalini hurrying towards him and smiled.

"What is it, Doctor?" he asked her, "Anything you need?"

"Well Captain, I was wondering where your wife was." Shalini said, looking around as if expecting her to be just behind Raj. "I thought you were picking her up this morning."

"Well Doctor Shalini, my wife has arrived and she is here, but right now I'm heading to my next class, so obviously she won't be going with me." Raj was quite amused by her eagerness to meet Naina; ever since Shalini had learnt that his wife was coming she had been bombarding him with questions which he had been successfully avoiding.

"I can't believe you're abandoning her to go to class on her very first day!" Shalini exclaimed, "What's she going to do by herself?"

"It's only for an hour, Shalini, and Naina is fine, she's getting settled in." Raj told her patiently, "But if you wouldn't mind looking in on her then I would appreciate it. She wanted to call her mother to let her know she arrived safely so maybe you could show her where the phone is?"

Shalini's face brightened, excited to be able to meet Raj's wife at last. "Of course I don't mind!" she exclaimed, "I'll just go and meet her right now, she'll be fine with me until you come back!"

She was already hurrying off when Raj called after her. "Shalini!" he said, trying to stop her before she had already gone too far away. She turned around expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "Naina is very quiet," Raj warned her, "And very shy too, so don't expect her to be too talkative."

Shalini nodded and giving him a mock salute, continued walking towards his room.

Raj just smiled and shook his head slightly. Naina might be quiet but Shalini was definitely talkative enough for both of them, so he knew she would be in good hands.

/

Naina had just finished putting her things away when she heard a knock at the door to the outside and went to open it.

Shalini's first thought when she saw the girl who opened the door, was how one of the cadets had gotten into Captain Rajveer's room and what they were doing there.

However Shalini quickly realized by the way this girl was looking at her expectantly that this was no cadet at all but Captain Rajveer's wife.

"Yes?" The girl asked her quietly, and Shalini shook herself out of her thoughts, realizing that if she stood there staring for too long, Captain Rajveer's wife would start wondering what was wrong with her.

"You must be Naina," Shalini began, wanting to at least check if she was right. The girl nodded and Shalini breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm Capt. Shalini Singhal, and I'm the doctor here at KMA. I ran into Captain Rajveer while he was on the way to class and he asked me if I could check on you."

Naina nodded and gave her a small smile, "Please come in," she told Shalini politely, and opened the door wider so that she could come into the room.

Shalini followed her inside, thinking that Rajveer's warning had been correct, his wife was very quiet.

"Have you settled in yet?" Shalini asked her, "Let me know if you need any help unpacking, luckily we don't have any cadets in the infirmary at the moment, so I'm quite free."

"Do the cadets end up in the infirmary often?" Naina asked her, sounding concerned.

"Well that depends on which cadet it is." Shalini replied with a bit of humour, "Some of them are more accident prone than others. But training is quite tough and most of them will get small injuries occasionally."

Naina nodded and Shalini suddenly remembered that she was also training to become a doctor. "I heard that you're also studying medicine," she asked her, "Are you enrolled in the college here in town?"

"Yes, it will be my first day tomorrow." Naina replied, "I'm in my fourth year now."

"Perhaps you'll be able to assist me in the infirmary sometimes," Shalini suggested, "I wouldn't mind some extra help and it will give you some practical training."

Naina nodded and gave Shalini a small smile, "I would like that." She looked around the room somewhat helplessly, "I wish I could offer you some tea or coffee but I have no idea where anything is kept, so it might take me awhile."

"It's no problem," Shalini told her reassuringly, "You must be tired after your journey anyway. If you like I'll show you where the phone is. Captain Rajveer said you might like to call your mother."

"That would be good," Naina replied, "She must be worrying about whether I've arrived or not."

"Do you have any brothers or sisters?" Shalini asked her as they walked towards the phone, she noticed that Naina hesitated before she replied, looking down towards the ground.

"No, I don't." Naina told her, "Maybe that's why my mother worries more."

"And it's the first time you've left home after marriage, isn't it?" Shalini asked her, wanting to find out more about the girl walking next to her. She was so very quiet, and despite how young she was, she had an air of maturity to her that most young people didn't.

"Yes," Naina replied a bit slowly, "I was studying, and because of Rajveer's work…" she trailed off, as if unsure of what else to say.

They reached the mess which was currently empty since all of the students were attending their classes and drills, and Shalini called out for Suriji.

He quickly appeared with his usual smile on his face, "Good morning, Dr. Shalini!" he told her, "And who is this charming young lady with you? Is she a new addition to the academy?"

Shalini hid her smile while Naina looked a little embarrassed.

"No Suriji, this is Naina…" at his continued look of confusion, Shalini decided that she had better just tell him, "Captain Rajveer's wife!"

Suriji's face suddenly broke out into a huge grin, "So this is Rajveer Putar's wife?" he asked, and shook Naina's hand enthusiastically. "Welcome to the academy Naina Putar, ai hai, kitni sohni ladki hai!"

Naina looked even more embarrassed even as she smiled back at him, and Shalini thought she had better tell him why they were here before Naina started blushing.

"Well Suriji we're here to use the phone so that Naina can call her mother." Shalini announced, and Suriji quickly led them over to the phone that was currently working, then he and Shalini stepped away while Naina dialled the number.

"Very quiet girl isn't she," Suriji remarked thoughtfully, "She seems very sweet too."

"She certainly is," Shalini told him, "Captain Rajveer had warned me she was quiet, I think she's just a bit shy. It will take her awhile to get used to life here."

Suriji nodded as they both watched Naina speak to her mother quietly on the phone. "You know she reminds me of somebody, I just can't work out who…" he was beginning to say, when Naina hung up the phone and came over to join them.

"How much for the call, Suriji?" she asked him quietly, starting to look for her purse in her bag.

"No, putar, I'm not going to take any money from you." Suriji told her kindly, "It's your first day here with us, and after all, I know your husband since his academy days when he and Navin used to create such mischief. I'm just glad he's found himself such a sweet girl."

Looking over at Naina, Shalini noticed that she had turned a bit pale and wondered what the matter was. But Naina recovered quickly, nodding shyly in reply to Suriji's words.

"Thank you very much, Suriji." She told him politely.

"There's no need for thanks, putar." He told her in a very fatherly way, "Just think of this canteen as your own, come and sit here whenever you please, I'll always be happy to have you here."

Naina nodded, a small smile on her face, and Shalini decided it was time for them to leave there. Noticing that Naina seemed a bit tired, she suggested that they go back to the room and Naina nodded as if relieved.

It was when they had entered the bedroom and Naina had put her purse down that Shalini noticed the photo on the bedside table and picked it up to examine it. It had obviously been taken at their wedding and neither of them was smiling. If anything, Shalini had even more questions about this marriage than she had had before. She had always been a naturally curious person, and it was when she sensed a mystery that she really switched to full detective mode.

Naina seemed tired and Shalini realized that she had traveled a long way and probably hadn't had much sleep.

"I'll leave you to rest," she told Naina, "Captain Rajveer should be back soon, you can take a short nap until then."

Naina nodded thankfully, really just wanting to collapse on the bed. So much had happened today, and then Suriji mentioning her brother… it had been difficult to stop herself from reacting.

When Shalini was gone she lay down on the bed and quickly drifted off to sleep, exhausted by everything she had been through that day.

/

Shalini was back in the infirmary when she heard a knock on the door and looked up to see Raj standing there.

"Did everything go alright?" he asked her, obviously on his way back from class, "Naina managed to call her mother?"

"It went fine," Shalini told him, "She made the call and after that I took her back to the room so she could rest."

Raj nodded, "Thanks for that, I felt bad about leaving her on the first day, but you know a soldier's duty has to come first."

"She's really sweet," Shalini told him with a smile, "I just hadn't expected her to be so…"

"Quiet?" Raj asked, "I warned you about that."

"Actually I was going to say young." Shalini told him, "I thought that she was a cadet at first, there must be quite an age difference between you."

Raj was a bit annoyed at her comment, but he knew he had to expect it. After all, it would be obvious to everybody exactly how young Naina was.

"There's a difference of seven years," he told her, "Naina will be turning twenty one in a month." He only knew when her birthday was because her mother had informed him in a letter once. He remembered he had been posted up north near the border when the letter had arrived and not knowing what else to do, he had sent her a pair of silver and turquoise earrings he found in the market. He remembered that she had sent a note back thanking him, the only time she had ever written to him.

"That's quite a difference," Shalini remarked, obviously still digging around for information. "How did you two get married?"

"In the normal way," Raj told her, a bit amused by Shalini's not so subtle attempts to find out more, "You know, taking the rounds around the fire, putting on the mangalsutra. Were you expecting us to have gone to a church instead?"

"Very funny," Shalini told him, rolling her eyes, "You know what I mean, was it a love marriage or an arranged marriage?"

"It was an arranged marriage," Raj answered quietly, not sure how else to describe it. The only difference is that their marriage was arranged only one day in advance. "It's a very long story, Shalini, and I think we'll have to save it for another day. Right now I'd like to go and check on Naina."

"Alright, but I hope you know that I want all of the details eventually." Shalini told him with a smile, "You can't escape me forever."

Raj smiled at this. She certainly wouldn't be finding out all the details, however he would have to think up another version of how it happened because knowing Dr. Shalini, she wasn't going to give up until she found out.

/

Raj knocked softly on the door but when he received no answer he opened it and went inside. Making his way to the bedroom he found Naina fast asleep on the bed, curled up tightly into herself. Standing there he watched her, noticing that at least she looked a bit more carefree when she was asleep.

Shalini was right; she was very young, much younger than he was. He worried about the age difference between them. At this age she shouldn't have been married at all, she should've been enjoying herself at college and falling in love with boys in her class. Instead she had had to grow up far too fast.

Naina stirred, perhaps realizing that somebody had been watching her, and opened her eyes.

Seeing Raj standing there, she hurriedly sat up, rubbing at her eyes tiredly.

"When did you arrive back?" she asked him, smoothing out the salwar kameez she was wearing and beginning to plait her hair again.

"Just now," Raj told her, "You don't need to get up. You can keep sleeping if you like."

"No that's okay," Naina replied, "I just needed a short nap."

"Then if you like, I'll show you around the academy and we'll have lunch." Raj told her, "Did you meet Suriji when you made your call? Navin must have told you about him in his letters."

Naina nodded, "It was nice to finally meet somebody that Navin talked about so much," she told Raj, "He seems very friendly."

"Then shall we go see the academy?" Raj asked as she slipped on her shoes, "It's not so very big, but it's good for you to become familiar with it."

Nodding, Naina followed him out of the room. She stayed close by to his side as they walked around, a bit overwhelmed. Navin had described this place so many times in his letters that she had felt as if she knew it. Raj showed her the academy buildings, the outside of the hostels and the parade ground before leading her back to the main building.

"I should introduce you to Brigadier Chandook," he told Naina with a smile, "After all, he's the reason that you're here in the first place."

Taking her to Brigadier Chandook's office, he knocked sharply on the door and waited to be asked to come in. Gesturing to Naina to follow him, he stepped in, saluted the General and stood to attention. Naina walked in and stood quietly a step behind him.

"Yes, Captain Rajveer?"

"Sir, I wanted to introduce you to my wife." Raj told him, "This is Naina Singh Shekhawat. Naina, this is Brigadier Chandook, KMA's commandant."

"I'm very pleased to meet you, Sir." Naina told him, thinking that he looked exactly the way Navin had described him, as if he was tough yet fair, and a strong disciplinarian.

"I'm pleased to meet you too, Mrs. Shekhawat." Brigadier Chandook told her, looking her up and down as if inspecting one of his cadets. "I hope you'll be comfortable here in our academy. Have you settled in properly?"

"Yes, Sir." She told him, "Rajveer was just giving me the tour so that I can become more familiar with the academy."

"I believe you're joining your new college from tomorrow."

"That's right, Sir." Raj replied for her, "I'll take her for registration in the morning."

"If you wish then you can always help Dr. Singhal out in the infirmary," Brigadier Chandook suggested, "I know that she can often use an extra pair of hands."

"I would like that, Sir." Naina told him, "Thank you very much."

"Then we'll go and take our lunch now, Sir." Raj told BC, glad that the meeting had gone so well.

"Carry on, Captain." Brigadier Chandook replied and they left the room.

Raj took Naina back to the mess and found a table for them. "I'll just go and get us some food," he told her, knowing how tired she really was even though she was pretending not to be, "You wait here and I'll be back in a minute."

Naina was just watching Raj talking with Suriji, probably discussing her, when the mess began to fill up, cadets walking in the door. A group of five walked in, looking tired.

"I swear Chief," one of them remarked, "I don't know if Major Nair is preparing us to fight at the border or run long distance for India in the Olympics. Why do we need to run so much?" 

"Guru, it's all part of our training." A serious looking young man explained to him, "We can only become good soldiers if we're fit, otherwise how can we expect to outlast the enemy?"

"Good point, Ali." The only girl of the group told him, "We learnt this in hockey training too, without fitness you can't expect any long talk time, you'll be disconnected mid way through your conversation."

"Chal," Yet another one remarked, "Less talking and more eating, I don't want to train on an empty stomach."

It was then that the last of the bunch spotted Naina and a grin spread over his face. "Oy hoy, kya janani hai!" he remarked, "What's a girl like that doing in KMA? I hope she's come to join our batch. Now that would definitely make things here more fun."

Pooja looked over in the direction that Huda was pointing to where a girl who looked about their age was sitting.

"She must be new," Yudi remarked, "I've never seen her here before."

"Well if there's any new girl here, then Amardeep Huda should definitely go and welcome her." Huda remarked confidently, setting off for the table.

Suddenly something clicked in Pooja's mind, new… just arrived… "Wait Huda!" she called out, "I think that she's…" But Huda had already reached the table and pulled up a chair and the words died on Pooja's lips. "Too late." She muttered, hoping that the over confident Jat didn't manage to embarrass himself too much.

"What is it, Pooja?" Ali asked her, concerned at the way Pooja was currently shaking her head in embarrassment.

"Well there's only one new person that I can think of who was due to arrive today," Pooja told him, "Our Rajveer Sir's wife."

"Oh shit," Yudi said, "Then we'd better go over and stop Huda from embarrassing himself before it's too late."

Unfortunately it was already too late.

"Hello there," Huda remarked confidently, pulling up the chair opposite Naina's, "You must be new here in KMA. Myself Amardeep Huda, I'm a first year cadet here. Are you joining our batch?" Without waiting for her reply, he continued quickly, "So what's a beautiful girl like you doing in a military academy?"

Raj turned around holding the plates of food to find Naina giving him a look that was partly amused and partly seemed to be requesting some help. Glancing at the other person who sat at her table he shook his head in amused disbelief, and headed over.

Pooja, Ali, Yudi and Aalekh had also just arrived and Pooja was once again trying unsuccessfully to stop Huda.

"You know Huda, I think this is…" she was trying to tell him.

"What is it, Punjaben? Can't you see that I'm trying to talk to this girl?" Huda asked her impatiently.

"But Hudabhai, this is…" Ali also tried to tell him, and then stopped, very embarrassed, as Captain Rajveer came over, putting the plates of food down on the table. Naina gave him a look of relief, having had no idea how to handle the boy sitting in front of her.

"Ah, Cadet Huda." Raj greeted the young man cheerfully, "I can see that you've met my wife Naina."

Huda just stared first at Captain Rajveer and then at Naina, before quickly getting up from the chair. "Sirji, I was just welcoming her to the academy," he said very hurriedly, wishing that he'd listened to what Pooja was trying to tell him.

"Well that's very nice of you, Cadet Huda." Raj told him, trying not to smile.

"Oy hath jao, Huda." Pooja told him, "If you've finished playing your ring tone then let the rest of us make our connections. Hi, I'm Cadet Pooja Ghai!" she announced cheerfully, smiling at Naina. Naina couldn't help but smile back at the very cheerful girl.

"I'm Cadet Ali Baig, ma'am." Ali said, snapping to attention.

"And I'm Cadet Yaduvansh Sahani, but everybody calls me Yudi."

"Apun Cadet Aalekh hain." The last remaining cadet told her, as typically quiet as always.

"It's nice to meet all of you," Naina told them, "But you really don't have to call me ma'am, after all, I don't think I'm any older than any of you are."

Pooja giggled at that, "But you're our teacher's wife after all, so we can't just call you by your first name."

"Really it's alright, cadets." Raj told them, "There's no need to be so formal with Naina. She's not going to be your teacher here."

"Alright Sir, we'll leave you to eat your lunch now." Pooja told him cheerfully, "We have another drill after lunch, so we'd better go and recharge our own batteries now."

"You go and do that, Cadet Ghai." Raj replied, "I'll see you all in class at three."

"See you then, Sir." Yudi told him, and everybody else echoed it.

"Welcome to the academy, ma'am." Ali told her before leaving, clearly unable to be any less formal with one of his teachers' wives.

Raj sat down opposite Naina once they were gone, noticing that she looked a bit overwhelmed.

"Don't be too worried," he told her, "Huda is utterly harmless, however he can't stop himself from flirting with every pretty girl he sees. He won't bother you again."

Naina nodded, she had been more amused than anything else, but not quite sure how to handle the situation.

"They all seem very nice," she told him, "And I can tell they all respect you a great deal."

"They're all quite special in their own ways." Raj told her, "And they've become quite inseparable. Pooja's room mate Vishali joins them sometimes but mainly it's the five of them getting up to mischief."

"Mischief?" Naina asked, "Is that possible in a military academy?"

"It definitely is," Raj replied, smiling. "I'll tell you some stories about what happened during my time at the academy one day. As for this bunch, in the very first week Cadet Baig ended up in the infirmary and Cadet Aalekh ended up in solitary confinement due to what happened with ragging, but they've become a close bunch of friends since then."

Naina nodded, wishing that she didn't envy them so much. Ever since her brother had been accused, she hadn't had any real friends. Those who knew the truth had abandoned her, and she was always too afraid of others finding out to really open up to them.

Was it possible that here at last, in the place her brother had spent the best years of his life, she might finally find somebody that she could trust?


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

They were just leaving the canteen when somebody entering collided with Naina, knocking her off balance. Raj quickly reached out a hand to steady her, holding her arm above the elbow until she regained her balance. It was only after making sure that she was fine that he looked up to check who had bumped into them.

"I'm so sorry," The smooth voice said very sweetly, "I was in such a hurry that I didn't see you there."

"That's alright," Raj told her, "No harm done."

"Aren't you going to introduce me, Captain Rajveer?" The very elegant woman wearing a sari asked, "If I'm not wrong, then this is the person that all of us have been anxious to meet."

"Of course I'll introduce you," Raj replied calmly, "Dr. Mishra, this is my wife Naina. Naina, this is Dr. Ritu Mishra, the academy's psychiatrist."

Naina politely put her hand out in greeting, and as Ritu shook it, she looked Naina up and down, intending to gain a better understanding of who the enemy actually was. After all, this girl had managed to ruin all of her plans simply by the very fact of her existence.

Naina was how Ritu might have imagined the wife of the oh-so-good-and-proper Captain Rajveer would be. She looked like a perfectly sweet, traditional and modest girl, just right for the goody goody army Captain. Looking over her rival, Ritu decided that she wouldn't be much of a challenge, all she would need to do was sew some doubt in the girl's mind and she would be gone quickly enough.

"You know it was quite a shock to find out that you existed," Ritu told her casually, "Before we found out that Raj's wife was coming to KMA, none of us even knew that he was married." She turned to Raj, a sweet smile on her face, "It was very bad of you, you know." She chided him, "You should've told us from the very beginning before you broke so many hearts."

Raj glanced down at Naina uncomfortably, hoping that she wouldn't take Dr. Mishra's comments in the wrong way. He knew that Ritu had been trying to flirt with him for the last month, and if he had been single then he would probably have been interested. But no matter what the circumstances of his marriage were, he took his vows very seriously. No matter what his own behaviour had been, it would be very easy for Naina to get the wrong idea about him based upon this comment.

Raj needn't have worried, Naina understood perfectly why he might not have wanted to mention her to anybody. After all, if they had known he had a wife then it would've led to questions about why she wasn't there, questions that he wouldn't have been able to answer. However there was something that she hadn't liked about this woman's tone of voice, almost as if she was trying to suggest something about the way Rajveer had been behaving while Naina wasn't there. If there was one thing that Naina didn't appreciate, then it was people who created misunderstandings.

"It was nothing like that, Dr. Mishra." Raj replied, trying to keep his tone calm even as he glanced at Naina, who was regarding Ritu without any expression. "I just like to keep my private and professional lives separate."

"I agree," Naina said calmly, surprising Raj quite a bit. "There was no reason for Rajveer to discuss our marriage with anybody at KMA." Her expression didn't change at all, and Raj realized that she had probably gotten used to hiding her feelings over the years.

However Dr. Mishra's expression did change slightly, as her jaw tightened almost as if in annoyance. "I heard that you're studying medicine," she commented to Naina sweetly, "So that makes us almost colleagues. What made you decide to become a doctor?"

However Raj decided that that was quite enough for one day, he knew Naina was tired, and he was in no mood to deal with this right now. The less that everybody found out about Naina's past the better, especially the resident psychiatrist. "You'll have to leave the psychoanalysis for another day, Dr. Mishra." Raj told her, trying to keep his tone light, "Naina is quite tired after her journey, I just brought her to the canteen so that she could eat her lunch but I think it's best that she gets some rest now."

Before Ritu could say anything else, he quickly steered Naina out of the canteen, his hand back on her elbow. Naina didn't protest, she really was exhausted after having almost no sleep during the night journey on the bus. She also realised the same truth as Raj, that it was better for the residents of KMA not to learn too much about her past. Because Naina knew that the moment anybody found out the truth about her identity, Rajveer's mission would be compromised.

Reaching his quarters, Raj walked her inside to the bedroom, making sure that she was properly settled.

"If you need anything at all, I'll be in classroom 105 for most of the afternoon," he told her, "You can always send an orderly to find me or go and see Dr. Shalini."

"It's okay," Naina reassured him, "I think I'll take a nap and then freshen up, I shouldn't need anything at all."

"Then I'll see you in the evening," Raj promised her, and left, closing the door behind him.

As soon as he was gone, Naina curled up on the bed, not bothering to even change out of her clothes. Within a few minutes she was sound asleep.

/

The cadets were relaxing outside in the sunshine while they waited for Major Nair to arrive for their next drill, grateful that they had a bit of extra time off.

"Well I think she's really sweet," Pooja remarked happily, "I'm so glad that my Veer has the perfect Zaara!"

Huda looked a bit annoyed, still embarrassed by the mistake that he had made earlier. "Yaar, why is it that simple, boring guys like Captain Rajveer get such beautiful girls? It's injustice, it really is. Girls like that should be with dudes like Huda."

Yudi scoffed at that. "Dude, look at yourself and then look at Captain Rajveer. He's a hero, and you only think that you're one."

"Tere to…" Huda got up, intending to chase Yudi, until Ali stepped in, shaking his head slightly at their behaviour.

"Rehne do, Hudabhai." He told him, "You must admit that Captain Rajveer doesn't have any equal as a soldier or a gentleman. Of course he should have a good wife."

Aalekh had stayed silent while they discussed it, but even he was thinking about Captain Rajveer's wife. The others had noticed that she was sweet or that she was beautiful, but he had noticed something else entirely. As somebody who had suffered in life, he recognized the signs of someone else who had been equally as hurt. It was obvious in the hidden pain in her eyes, the quiet sadness in the way she sat and held herself.

Aalekh didn't say much because he chose to observe instead. And he had definitely observed the protective way that Captain Rajveer acted around his wife, the way he glanced at her when she wasn't looking, with a concerned expression. He knew there was a story behind all this, but Aalekh felt no need to find out what it was. It was their business not his, and he certainly wasn't going to mention what he was thinking to anybody else.

Their conversation was interrupted by Major Nair's arrival and all of the cadets quickly stood to attention, knowing very well what would happen if the Major caught them slacking off.

/

Naina woke up three hours later, slightly disorientated and unsure of where she was. It took her a moment to look around the room to remember where she had arrived and what she was doing there. She stretched and decided that she had probably slept enough for the time being, otherwise she wouldn't sleep at all that night. Still feeling tired, she took a shower in order to freshen up, dressed and then came out to the main room looking for something to do.

Her college didn't start until tomorrow, and Rajveer was currently busy teaching a class. Naina remembered his words from earlier and decided that she would head to the infirmary to see Dr. Shalini, perhaps she would be able to be of some assistance. After all, so far besides the cadets, Shalini had been one of the most welcoming people that Naina had met in KMA.

Going outside and locking the door, Naina headed down the corridor towards the infirmary when a loud voice stopped her.

"Cadet! Where do you think you're going without your uniform during training hours?"

Naina assumed that some poor cadet was in trouble and turned around to check but she found herself alone in the corridor with a rather stern looking man.

"I'm sorry, but I'm not…" she began to say, realizing that he had made a mistake.

"You should be saying, I'm sorry 'Sir', Cadet!" The man replied, "Are you new here?"

"Well actually, Sir…" Naina started to say, wanting to clear up the confusion as quickly as possible.

"Major Nair, she's not one of your cadets, she's Captain Rajveer's wife." Shalini broke in, coming out of the infirmary with an amused expression on her face. "That's why she's not wearing a uniform."

"Oh," Major Nair said, looking Naina up and down with an expression of contempt, "Carry on then." And he walked off down the corridor.

Naina stared after him, so this was the Major Nair that Navin had hated so much during his training days. She decided right then that everything Navin had ever said must have been true.

"Don't mind him," Shalini told her reassuringly, "He's just as friendly to everybody else. He especially hates all women and girls, and as you're Captain Rajveer's wife you're guaranteed not to win his approval."

Naina smiled at that, "I suppose he still thinks of Rajveer as one of his cadets," she suggested, "It must be difficult to treat him as a fellow officer now."

"I think you're perfectly right," Shalini told her, "Anyway, was there anything you wanted? Were you on your way to see me?"

"Actually I just woke up, and I have nothing to do." Naina admitted, "So I was wondering if I could be of any assistance in the infirmary. My college doesn't start until tomorrow and Rajveer is busy at the moment so…"

"I would appreciate that," Shalini told her, "Major Nair's drill has just finished so there's bound to be at least one injured student on their way here." She grinned at Naina after saying this, and Naina couldn't help but smile back.

They made their way to the infirmary and sure enough five minutes later, Ali and Huda helped a limping Yudi into the room as Aalekh and Pooja followed them in.

"Oh fo Cadet, what happened this time?" Shalini asked. While he was one of her favourite cadets, Yudi was also one of the most accident prone. In the month they'd been in the academy he had already been in the infirmary five times for various reasons, this made it the sixth time.

"Major Nair was making us run while holding rifles," Yudi told her, "This damn Huda distracted me and I tripped over a tree root but Major Nair wouldn't let me stop until I finished the drill."

"Isn't that dangerous?" Naina asked Shalini, a bit shocked about the lack of concern about cadets' health.

Shalini shrugged in a 'what can I do about it' way. "Now that you're here with us, you'll get used to it eventually. That's what military academies are like."

She turned to Yudi, "Well Cadet, how about we let Naina try fixing you up."

Yudi looked a bit hesitant about that, after all he trusted Dr. Shalini, but he had no idea what Captain Rajveer's wife would be like at fixing his ankle. However he nodded and sat back while she first examined him, then selected a balm to apply then bandaged it deftly. It was done in less than ten minutes and he found himself amazed at how easily she had managed to relieve the pressure and ease his pain.

"Apply some more of the balm tonight," she told him, "And I know it will be difficult, but try to stay off your ankle as much as possible. Come back tomorrow and we'll re-do the bandaging."

Yudi stared at her in amazement as if shocked to see this side of her after meeting the quiet and polite young lady earlier.

"Don't look so surprised, Cadet Sahni." Shalini told him teasingly, "Naina is in her fourth year of medical college you know."

"That was rocking, ma'am." Yudi told her with a grin, "My ankle feels so much better now."

The rest of the cadets were now looking at her admiringly too, but Pooja was the one with the biggest grin on her face.

"At least now we know that when that mucchad… I mean Major Nair, makes our batteries go flat we have somebody else to go to for our recharge." She announced happily, and Shalini just smiled in amusement as Naina looked as if she was trying to work out a translation of Pooja's mobile speak.

"We'll just take Yudi to his room now, ma'am." Ali told Shalini politely, and the five of them set off together chatting and laughing.

"Ah, Cadet Ghai…" Naina started to say, still looking a bit confused.

"Don't mind, Pooja." Shalini told her, "It takes awhile to get used to her special language, but she's a very sweet girl. Completely obsessed by mobile phones, but she's got a spark in her that I like."

Naina nodded, smiling slightly. "Could you tell me a bit more about them?" she asked Shalini, "They seem like a very fun bunch."

Laughing as she thought of everything the five had gotten up to in their first month of the academy, Shalini began to tell Naina stories.

/

Raj arrived back to their room and was surprised to see it locked, momentarily he became worried about where Naina might have gone and if she was alright or not. She had seemed so tired that he had expected her to sleep for the rest of the afternoon.

"Hi Sir!" he heard a voice call out brightly as Pooja passed by him in the corridor, heading towards the library.

"Cadet Ghai, have you seen Naina by any chance?" he asked her.

"I think she might be with Dr. Shalini, Sir." Pooja told him. "She was there earlier and she fixed Yudi's ankle for him. She's definitely not a standard handset, but is packed with extra features."

Raj smiled, feeling a sense of pride. He was glad that Naina was getting involved at the academy already, it reminded him of Navin. No matter what situation Navin had found himself in, however challenging or strange, he would never hesitate to join in or make the best of a situation.

"Thanks Cadet Ghai, I'll go and see if she's there." He told her warmly, and was just about to set off when Pooja interrupted him.

"I'm just so glad that you've brought your wife to the academy, Sir." She said happily, "I hope that we'll be able to have lots of talktime in the future, we've only just made our connections but I just know that her network is going to work well with all of ours."

"I certainly hope so, Pooja." Raj told her affectionately, he was quite fond of all of his cadets and Pooja was definitely one of his favourites. "Don't be afraid to make friends with Naina, she's the same age as all of you and I know it's been difficult for her to leave everybody behind and come here to join me. I would really appreciate it if you help her to settle in."

"You can count on us for that, Sir!" Pooja told him enthusiastically, "I'll just go to the library now, Lolita Ma'am has given us an assignment to complete before tomorrow and if it's not done then she'll cut our connections."

Raj signalled for her to go and she left quickly, muttering to herself about the unfair tasks that Lolitaji always assigned them.

Raj made his way to the infirmary, where sure enough Naina was sitting with Shalini, smiling as she listened to a story about what the cadets had managed to get up to the previous week.

She looked up as Raj walked in, and the small smile that she gave him made his heart flip. Gaining control over himself he moved to join them, sitting in the spare chair.

"I heard that you worked wonders on Yudi's ankle this afternoon," he told her with a smile, "Cadet Ghai was more than happy to tell me about it."

"Naina's definitely had a very busy day," Shalini told him, "Guess who she met on her way to the infirmary,"

"Not…"

"The one and only Major Nair," Shalini finished, "Don't worry, as you can see, she survived the encounter."

Raj grimaced, "I think I would've preferred to be with you when you met him for the first time." He told Naina, "Major Nair is definitely… an experience."

"He certainly was." Naina agreed, "He thought that I was a cadet and asked me what I was doing out of uniform. He's so forceful in his manner that for a moment I forgot that I wasn't a cadet and started wondering where my uniform really was."

Raj started laughing, and then realised that it was the first joke he'd ever heard Naina make. It might have only been a small one, but it showed him that they were definitely making progress.

It has only been a day since she arrived, and already she was starting to settle in and to relax.

He vowed to himself that as well as completing his mission here, he would also do his best to bring happiness back into her life. He would help her become the same girl again that Navin once described to him, a girl full of fun and life and laughter.

He would do it not only for Naina's sake, but also for Navin's.

He wouldn't fail his best friend.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter Six

They ate their dinner with Shalini, and Naina was relieved that they had finished by the time Dr. Mishra entered the mess. There was something about the woman that she just really didn't like, something that made her quite uncomfortable. Naina didn't know what it was, but she usually had strong instincts about people, she had been forced to develop them by the circumstances she had lived through. And there was something about Dr. Mishra that just wasn't right.

It seemed like Rajveer was keen to stay away from her too, by the way that he stood up quickly to go when she came in. Naina wondered whether he had the same bad feelings that she did or whether he was just nervous about Dr. Mishra trying to once again question Naina.

They only managed to nod at each other as Naina and Rajveer were leaving and Naina was happy about that, the less time that she spent with that woman, the better. Still, she would've preferred it if they hadn't had to leave the mess so soon, because the sooner that they left the mess the sooner they would reach the room, and the sooner they reached the room, the sooner…

She had been avoiding thinking about it, about what would be expected of her now that she was living with him. Rajveer might be her husband, but he was after all a stranger, and Naina didn't think that she was ready to have that type of relationship with him just yet. She had only known him properly for one day now, and from what she could tell about his personality, she didn't think he was going to rush her or pressure her into anything. But she dreaded even having a conversation about it. It was all just far too awkward.

However Naina needn't have worried because Raj had already had exactly the same thoughts as she was having right now. In fact almost as soon as BC had ordered him to bring his wife here, he had started worrying about what would happen when she arrived and how they would deal with living together.

From the moment they stepped into the room, Raj could sense Naina's nervousness, and it made him feel terrible. He wondered whether all couples in arranged marriages went through this type of confusion and awkwardness or whether theirs had been made worse by the circumstances in which they were married in.

Without waiting for the situation to become even worse, Raj grabbed a pillow and some bedding and began making a bed for himself on the floor.

"You don't have to…" Naina began to say, even as he could see the relief in her eyes, "I mean, I could sleep on the couch, I don't want you to have to sleep on the floor."

"It's okay, Naina." He told her, "I'm a soldier and therefore I can sleep just about anywhere comfortably. I'll be fine."

Naina just nodded as she watched him prepare his bed, looking as if she wanted to say something else but didn't have the courage. Deciding that it was best not to protest anymore, she began to prepare for sleep before finally getting under the covers, lying on her side so that she was facing in his direction.

Raj turned off the light and also settled into his own bed. He had the unsettling feeling that Naina was staring at him through the darkness.

"How was your first day?" he finally asked her, not quite ready to actually go to sleep yet.

"It was fine," Naina replied quietly, "Shalini was nice, and the cadets… and Suriji, he was just the way that Navin described him."

Raj chuckled, "You know Navin was one of Suriji's favourite cadets, he would get up to just as much mischief as the rest of us but he had such an innocent face that he always got away with it. Suriji never realised exactly how much of a shaitan Navin really was."

Raj wasn't sure, but he thought that Naina might be smiling in the dark as she thought of her brother and his academy days.

"Navin was happy here, wasn't he?" She finally asked Raj, quite thoughtfully.

"He was." Raj replied, "We all were. It was the best time in my life, a time that I'll never forget."

Naina was silent and Raj felt the need to say something else, not wanting the conversation to end just yet. "We will prove his innocence, Naina." Raj promised her, "I haven't given up yet and I never will. I'll do it no matter what the cost is."

"Rajveer…" Naina said his name quietly, and Raj was once again surprised by how different it sounded coming from her lips. Navin had always called him Raj, most of his friends did, but he didn't mind Naina using his full name, not at all.

"I want Navin proven innocent, but not at any cost. I've already lost far too much already." She left the last part unspoken, that she didn't want to lose him too, that after everything else that had happened, she didn't wish to become a widow.

"Don't worry, Naina. Whatever I do, I'll do with great thought and care." Raj promised her. "I'm sure that somebody in this academy must know something, and Suriji has been here for as long as anybody else. He might be able to tell me something."

"I hope so," Naina replied, "After all, I don't think that Major Nair is going to help you out in any way."

Raj laughed, "Well as Cadet Ghai would say, 'You've certainly understood his ring tone correctly'."

Naina laughed at this too, only briefly, but the sound was sweet to Raj's ears. He hoped that she would laugh more often from now on, that she would become the girl that he knew she used to be.

"Naina…" There was something that he had to ask her, but he was worried that it would just cause the wounds to reopen again. Still… it was important for him to know. "That day, when you found out the truth… did you hate me?" Raj held his breath, waiting for her answer. It was something that he had wanted to know for two long years, ever since he had watched her crying in her living room as he told the story of Navin's death.

"I don't know," Naina told him, and he knew that it was an honest answer. "Maybe I did. At the time everything happened so fast that I didn't know what I felt. I had only just met you, and then you confessed… and a few minutes later, my parents arranged our marriage. I didn't have time to think properly about anything."

Raj was glad that she had told the truth, he knew it was going to be important in their relationship for them to be honest with one another.

"But…" Naina continued and Raj was surprised, he hadn't thought that she would say anything else. "I don't hate you now." Naina told him, and Raj's heart lifted. He thought that if somebody were to ask him then he wouldn't be able to express how happy that one sentence made him and how heavy a burden had been lifted off his shoulders. Because as long as she didn't hate him, he had an even greater chance to fix the past.

"Thank you," Raj told her quietly, not feeling the need to explain what it was that he was thanking her for. He knew that Naina would understand.

"Good night," she told him, and Raj repeated the sentence back to her. He didn't close his eyes immediately, instead listening to Naina's breaths becoming heavier and calmer, as she drifted off to sleep.

/

"Where the hell have you been?" Ritu asked the person on the other end of the line angrily, "I've been trying to call you for hours."

"I've been busy," The man replied, not sounding sorry at all.

"Listen then," Ritu told him, "This girl is not going to be as easy to handle as I had thought. She's smarter than she appears and she didn't take the bait at all."

"You're just going to have to find a way to deal with it." The man replied, "You know how important it is for us to get a hold of the triggers. If you can't manage it by seducing Captain Rajveer then make a new plan. You've been doing this for years, I know you won't disappoint us."

"Don't worry, I won't allow these triggers to escape from our grasp." Ritu told him, "We might have failed four years ago, but I won't allow us to fail again. If Captain Rajveer won't fall for my charms then I'll find another way to remove him from my path, and his wife too."

"Don't fail us this time." The man warned her, "Too much is at stake now."

"I won't, Sir." Ritu promised him, "I'll never fail you again."

She knew that she couldn't afford to, after her mistake the last time, they wouldn't forgive her for any more errors.

Ritu would gain the triggers for them.

No matter what it took.

/

Raj woke early the next morning, and not wanting to disturb Naina, he decided that it would be best if he followed his normal schedule and went for a morning jog. It always helped him to clear his mind, and now more than ever, he needed to be able to do that.

He had a great deal to handle, and no idea whether he would be able to fulfil it all. His first priority of course had to be to protect the triggers and reveal the identity of the spy. Everything else would be secondary to that, but he would never allow his country's enemies to get their hands on such a powerful weapon.

His second task, one which he had never admitted to his commanding officer, and which would have to remain unofficial, was to try and uncover the truth surrounding Navin's death. He knew that KMA played an important part in the mystery and that somebody here had to know at least part of the reason why this had all happened. When Navin was such a competent army officer, how had they managed to trap him in the first place?

And now he had to somehow conceal Naina's true identity while trying to make his marriage work. He supposed he should probably thank BC, at least due to his interference, Raj had finally had to deal with the fact that he actually was married. It was a fact that he had never forgotten in the last two years, one which had always remained at the back of his mind. But without Brigadier Chandook's request, Raj had no idea how many years more it would've been before he and Naina finally began living together and getting to know one another.

And he was honestly glad that they had.

In the day since she had arrived, Raj had realised why it was that Navin had loved her so much, and spoken about her so glowingly. Fragments of her real personality which had been buried under her grief had begun to reveal themselves. He saw a spark in her, long hidden but not extinguished, and longed to fan it into a full flame. Two years had made a difference in Naina, and Raj supposed that for everybody grief faded in time. At least now she was beginning to talk to him, and he hoped that with time she would open up more about herself.

Raj arrived back from his jog sweating and breathing hard, waving to Suriji as he passed by him. He hoped that Naina was awake already otherwise they would be late for her college. He wanted to get her there early today so that they could ensure that the registration had been completed correctly and there would be no problems.

Reaching the room he opened the door and leaned against the entrance, wanting to catch his breath after the exercise. It was at this moment that Naina emerged from the other room, already dressed for her first day in a simple salwar kameez, her hair still wet from her shower.

For a moment Raj stared at her, unable to do anything else. He had known that she was beautiful, he had noticed it the day that they were married. But noticing it and seeing it at such close quarters were two entirely different things. There was nothing fake about her beauty, or overstated. Standing there with her hair dripping water onto the floor and her towel in her hand, she was stunning.

Raj realised that Naina was now staring back at him a bit awkwardly, as if wondering what had happened to him.

"I went for a jog," he said a bit dumbly, not able to think of anything else.

Naina nodded once, and started drying off her hair. Raj was thankful that she didn't realise exactly what he was thinking.

"I'll just go take a shower and get ready," he told her, "Why don't you go and have some breakfast? You definitely shouldn't go hungry for your first day at college."

"Alright," Naina agreed, setting down the towel and picking up a comb, "I'll go as soon as I've gotten ready."

Raj nodded, a lump in his throat as he watched her comb her hair, and then decided it would far safer for him to go and take a shower rather than to keep watching her there.

/

Naina had finished getting ready for the day ahead and was about to leave for the mess when a thought struck her. Maybe she should wait for Rajveer before she left. After all, she had no idea whether she would know anybody there or not. What if she ran into Dr. Mishra or Major Nair, would she be forced to sit with them? The idea of going there without Rajveer panicked her slightly as she thought about having to face their questions alone.

After a moment of worry, Naina steeled herself. She wasn't a child anymore and she didn't need anybody to hold her hand while she went and got breakfast. She wouldn't allow herself to be a burden to Rajveer, somebody that he felt obliged to take care of. Instead she would go, eat breakfast, and handle any questions or difficult situations that came her way.

Her mind made up, Naina headed towards the canteen.

As soon as she entered, she wondered whether she'd made a mistake. The canteen was already full of cadets, most of whom turned to stare at her as she entered. And the only faculty member in sight was Dr. Mishra. Luckily the woman hadn't spotted her yet and Naina wondered whether she could make a quick exit and come back later with Rajveer,

"Ma'am!" she turned around at the sound of the voice to find Pooja Ghai smiling and waving at her, sitting at a table with her friends. Naina smiled back and hesitantly made her way over.

"Do you want to join us, ma'am?" Pooja asked her, "It would be nice to have breakfast together."

Naina noticed that the rest of the table was nodding politely.

"I've told you before, you don't need to call me ma'am." Naina reminded Pooja, "Please just call me Naina, ma'am makes me feel like I'm old."

"Alright then, Naina." Pooja said with a grin, "But I don't know if our Ali will be able to adjust or not, his phone settings are permanently fixed at formal."

Ali turned bright red at this comment, and Naina tried not to smile, knowing how embarrassed he was.

"Alright, I'll just grab some breakfast and then come over to join you all." She promised.

Naina was just returning holding a plate and a cup of chai when she found Ritu in front of her.

"Hi Naina," Ritu said, all friendliness in her manner, "Would you like to join me for breakfast?"

"I'm really sorry, Dr. Mishra." Naina told her, "I've already promised the cadets that I'll sit with them."

And thank goodness for that.

Naina made her way back over to sit with the five cadets, who were already discussing their schedules for the day and how Yudi would be able to complete the drills on his injured foot.

"There's no problems with Captain Rajveer's, he'll make some adjustments for you, but Major Nair will definitely insist that you do them as normal." Ali told Yudi, who looked a bit worried.

"Don't stress guys, why do you fear when Huda is here?" the Jat announced confidently, "I already know what we're doing with Nair today, it's a rifle drill. You won't need to use your foot too much for that, Yudio."

"Thanks bro, you've set my mind at ease." Yudi said with a sigh of relief.

"Don't relax too much," Aalekh warned him, "Or you might end up nearly blowing somebody's head off again."

They all laughed while Yudi looked quite embarrassed.

"So how did you all end up choosing to join the academy?" Naina asked them, "I mean, it's a difficult career, and not one that many young people are attracted to."

"The army is in my blood," Ali told her proudly, "Both my father and grandfather were Subedars, my grandfather during the times of the English."

"My mummy made a bet with me that I wouldn't last here for a month," Huda announced, "And I'm going to prove her wrong and become her brave jawan."

"Well my parents wanted to send me to America to do my MBA, but I want to make my own name in my own way. I'll show them that I don't need their influence to make myself somebody." Yudi told her earnestly.

"Well I'm just here on roaming," Pooja told her, "Once I find my Ranjha I'll go back to my old plan."

Naina was wondering who this Ranjha was, when Aalekh spoke up.

"The judge sent me here, told me to become a soldier," he said simply, "Otherwise I would've gone to jail."

Naina was curious about his past but decided that it would be better not to ask. She knew that sometimes a person's life could be so painful that they would prefer not to talk about it. She knew this very well.

"And how did you decide to become a doctor, ma'…Naina?" Pooja asked her.

"My brother…" Naina started to say, and then wondered why she had been prepared to tell the truth so easily. She had to remember that revealing anything about herself was dangerous here. However it was too late and she might as well finish the sentence. "My brother encouraged me to. He said that it was a good way I could serve my country." She told them, biting her lip at the memory.

He had joked that she should join the army with him, which she had refused to do. She had told him that she didn't think she would be able to kill anybody, and he had told her that she should try healing them instead then.

The cadets noticed the lost look on Naina's face, and Pooja reached out a hand to touch her arm gently. "Are you alright?" she asked Naina, "Is something wrong?"

Naina shook herself out of her daze, and was just thinking about what to reply, when she noticed Rajveer enter the canteen and survey the room as if to check where she was. He spotted Naina and made his way over to join them.

"Good morning, cadets." He told the assembled group, "Are you all ready for our hand to hand combat lesson this afternoon?"

"Of course, Sir." Huda replied confidently, "We're all waiting for it."

"Excellent," Raj told them, and then turned to Naina, who by now had finished her breakfast. "Shall we go, Naina? I don't want you to be late on your first day."

"But aren't you going to eat anything?" Naina asked him, glancing down at her watch.

"It's alright," Raj told her, "I'll eat when I return, I'd prefer to get you there in plenty of time to ensure that there's no problems."

"Alright," Naina replied, "I'm ready to go then, I'll just grab my bag from the room." She turned to the cadets, "Thanks for inviting me to have my breakfast with you." She told them with a smile and followed Raj out.

"If only she'd been a cadet too," Pooja remarked wistfully.

"If only she'd been unmarried…" Huda commented in a similar tone.

*Whack*

"Ouch! What was that for, Punjaben?"

"You know very well what it was for!"

"Saala… don't you have any shame?"

/

Shalini finally walked into the mess and Ritu decided that this was the perfect opportunity as she waved to the doctor, and Shalini came over to join her. After all, Shalini had spent quite a bit of time with Naina already, she would know something about the girl. Ritu knew her job well, in order to be successful, information was the most valuable thing she could obtain.

"So Shalini, what do you think of Captain Shekawat's wife so far?" Ritu asked her, knowing that Shalini would just assume that she wanted to get some gossip.

"She's such a sweet girl," Shalini said glowingly, "When I first met her I was surprised by how young she is, but she's definitely mature for her age. She's so quiet though, and very serious."

"Well then she definitely suits our Captain Rajveer," Ritu remarked, trying to keep the bitterness out of her voice. "No wonder they fell for each other."

"Well actually Ritu, it was an arranged marriage." Shalini informed her, "Rajveer told me. It just goes to show how well these things work out sometimes. I mean it's obvious what a well suited couple they are."

Ritu hadn't even listened to Shalini's last sentence, the last thing she had heard was 'arranged marriage'.

This was interesting.

Interesting indeed.

The more that she found out the better, and as soon as possible. Her mission depended on it, and she would not fail in her mission.

Captain Rajveer and his oh so sweet wife were definitely hiding something.

Ritu wouldn't stop until she found out what it was.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Raj pulled up the jeep outside Naina's new college, glad that he had decided to dress in casuals this morning. He figured that she didn't need any of the extra attention that she would get if she turned up with a man in army uniform. If he knew Naina even a little bit now, then he was guessing that she would prefer to blend in as much as possible, and not attract too much notice.

Naina grabbed her bag with her books and they walked up the steps together, entering the college to search for the registration office. They'd arrived an hour before class was due to start, just to make sure that her registration was completed successfully and that there were no obstacles to her starting today.

Finally they found the correct room and entered through the open door.

"Yes?" The woman at the desk asked, looking up from some papers she was reading.

"I'm Naina Singh Shekawat," Naina told her, "I've just transferred here and today is my first day."

"We wanted to make sure that everything was in order and find out about Naina's timetable and all other details." Raj continued for her.

"And you are?" The woman asked, looking at him appraisingly.

"Captain Rajveer Singh Shekawat, her husband."

The woman smiled, "Well now I understand why you've transferred in the middle of the year." She said, "I know that life as an army wife can be difficult, always moving around from place to place. However it's good to see that your husband is so supportive of your studies."

Naina nodded mutely, and Raj decided that he should reply. "I think it's important that women continue to study or work after marriage." He told the registrar, "If their husbands don't have to give up their dreams then why should wives?"

"Well said," The registrar agreed with him, "Well, I'll just find your transfer records and check that everything is in order." She looked through the filing cabinet before pulling out the correct folder and then quickly checked it. "I see that you've topped your class for the past two years," she remarked, "Very impressive. I hope that you'll continue to perform just as well here."

"I'll do my best, ma'am." Naina told her sincerely and the registrar smiled at her kindly.

"In that case here's your timetable along with a list of your subjects and teachers. I would suggest that you try to meet with with as many of them as possible before class starts so that you can find out if there's anything you need to catch up with."

"I'll definitely do that, ma'am. Thank you very much for your help."

"Best of luck for your studies," The registrar told her, and they exited the room.

"Would you like me to come with you?" Raj asked her, unsure whether he should leave just yet or not. He had no idea why he was feeling so anxious about leaving her here, but he was worried about her being in a new place alone.

"No, I'll be fine." Naina told him, a small smile on her face as if she was amused by something. "I've done this before, remember? I changed colleges when we moved after Baba's death."

"Of course," Raj said, feeling a bit ridiculous for thinking that she wouldn't be able to handle talking to her professors by herself. "I'll come and pick you up in the afternoon then. 4pm, right?"

Naina nodded in confirmation. "Make sure you have your breakfast when you get back to the academy," she told him, "You shouldn't skip it just because you had to drop me here."

Raj found himself smiling at this comment and realized that it was definitely time to leave. "I'll see you this afternoon then," he told her, and Naina nodded. He stood there awkwardly for a second, not sure if he should be saying something else or not. Finally he settled for, "Have a good first day at college," deciding that it was one of the safest things he could tell her.

"Thank you, I'll tell you about it when I see you this afternoon." Naina told him, not quite looking into his eyes but more gazing at his shoulder.

"I'll look forward to it." Raj replied warmly, and then decided it was time for him to leave, otherwise he would never make it back to the academy in time for his first class on communication and strategy.

And after all, he had to eat his breakfast as well.

/

Raj made it back to the academy just in time for his first class, this time with the second year cadets. He couldn't afford to be late because he was in the middle of teaching them about some very complicated codes and he didn't want to lose any class time. Raj felt a little bit guilty about not taking his breakfast, but decided that it would alright if he did so after his class instead.

The bell rang and with an hour to spare he headed to the mess.

"Suriji, is it too late to get something to eat?" Raj asked him, "I had to leave early this morning since it was Naina's first day, and I didn't get a chance to take my breakfast."

"So it's Naina putar's first day at her college today?" Suriji asked affectionately, "I hope that she settles in well."

"I think that she'll be fine." Raj told him, "You know she's been the top of her class for the last two years." He couldn't hide the pride in his voice, and he knew that Navin would've been proud too if he was here with them today. He had always talked about how smart his sister was, and how she could become anything that she wanted to in life.

"That's wonderful," Suriji replied happily, "You're lucky to have found such a good life partner, it can make all the difference in somebody's life. I sometimes think that if Navin putar…" he stopped abruptly, unwilling to say anything else.

"If Navin what?" Raj asked him, desperately wanting to hear what Suriji was going to say next. It might just help the mystery to unfold.

"Never mind, Raj putar." Suriji told him sadly, "What is in the past is better left in the past, I'll go and get your breakfast now."

Raj cursed under his breath once Suriji was gone, not able to believe that he'd lost such a good opportunity. He had to find some way to get the truth out of Suriji.

/

Raj's last class of the day was hand to hand combat instruction with the first year cadets and it was due to end at exactly three thirty. He made sure that he adjusted the drill for Yudi, so that he wouldn't strain his injured ankle too much, teaching them creative ways of fighting off an enemy at close quarters. As soon as his watch beeped to tell him that it was three thirty he dismissed them quickly and rushed off, leaving the cadets staring after them. Usually Captain Rajveer would wait around after classes to speak to anybody who had any queries or give them some extra pointers but today he had left right on the dot.

"What's gotten into him?" Yudi asked, "How come he left so fast?"

Pooja sighed, not able to believe how thick boys were. "Don't you know that he's got an important outgoing call, Yudi? He has to pick Naina up from her college."

The rest of her friends nodded in sudden understanding, while her room mate Vishali looked at her curiously.

"Since when did Mrs Shekawat become Naina?" she asked them, "Don't you think you're being a little bit informal about a teacher's wife?" Vishali was almost the complete opposite to Pooja in attitude, much more concerned about rules and discipline.

"Well if you'd sat with us at breakfast this morning, then you would've known that she asked us to call her Naina." Pooja told her room mate, "You should divert your calls to us more often."

Vishali just shrugged, she had her own set of friends within the academy who she hung out with.

"Well Captain Rajveer has left the academy, but we still have to get to our study session in the library." Ali reminded them, and everybody groaned before setting off.

/

Raj arrived at the college by five to four, and sat in the jeep to wait, glad that he hadn't arrived late on the first day.

Finally the clock struck four and he watched the other students emerge, searching for her face in the crowd.

Naina walked out with a group of other girls, chatting to them. As a new arrival she had been welcomed by the class and had been happy to get to know her new classmates, although as always she had been slightly reserved with them, unwilling to reveal too much about herself.

She stopped talking as soon as she reached the exit, looking for the face that she knew would be there waiting for her. Finally spotting him waiting near the army jeep she raised a hand to let him know where she was, and he returned the gesture then sat back down inside the jeep, waiting for her.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Naina told the girls that she had been talking to and turned to go.

"Who's that you were waving at?" One asked her curiously, "Is he in the army?"

"That's my husband," Naina told her quietly, "And yes, he's a Captain in the army." She smiled at them and then walked down to join Raj. He waited until she was settled comfortably in the jeep and then they drove off.

"Well no wonder she transferred mid way through the year," One of the girls remarked, "If he was my husband, then I would follow him anywhere."

/

"So how was your first day?" Raj asked her, "It looked as if you managed to make friends with some of your class mates."

"They were nice," Naina told him, "You know how it is, it's the same everywhere. They're interested in me because I'm new, but at least they seem as if they work hard in their studies."

"And do you have much to catch up on?" he asked, which was the main thing that he had been worried about when he had asked her to join him there.

"I'm behind in two subjects, ahead in three, and exactly on target with one." Naina told him, and Raj was relieved. Two subjects wasn't too much to catch up on and he knew that Naina could handle it.

"You know I was talking to Suriji today when I went for breakfast," he told her, "I'm sure that he was going to tell me something about Navin but he stopped himself at the last minute."

"What do you think it was?" Naina asked, a tone of hope in her voice. Any information about her brother's case at all has to be helpful.

"I'm not sure," Raj told her, "He was telling me that I was lucky to have found a good life partner and then suddenly mentioned Navin's name. But he stopped himself before I could find out anything."

He couldn't believe how much of a relief it was to finally be able to discuss Navin's case with somebody, share his progress and his disappointments with them. For the past four years he'd been fighting this battle alone, never able to talk to anybody about it or let them know about his involvement.

"I think that he definitely knows something," Naina agreed with Raj, "If he talks about it then it might give us a valuable clue."

"I'll keep trying," Raj promised her, "But I can't be too obvious about it or he'll suspect that I'm investigating."

"I trust you to do the right thing." Naina told him, "I know you'll be able to find out."

Raj was stunned by her trust in him, her confidence that he would be able to solve whatever problems came along.

He wouldn't let her down. He wouldn't betray her trust no matter what.

"So how was your day?" Naina asked him, "What classes did you have?"

"Well I had communication and strategy to teach in the morning and then the hand to hand combat drills in the afternoon."

"Was Yudi's ankle okay for the drill?" Naina asked, "He didn't put too much pressure onto it did he?"

Raj smiled at her question, thinking that she sounded exactly like a doctor already.

"No, I made sure that Yudi was only using his upper body for the exercise." Raj told her, "He did fine, he just needs a bit more confidence that's all."

Naina nodded, and then wondered whether it was the right time to ask him a question that she'd been thinking about since morning.

"This morning Aalekh mentioned that he had been sent here by a judge, and that otherwise he would've been sent to jail…" she said, trailing off to leave it as a question.

"Aalekh has had a very hard life," Raj explained, and the sympathy was evident in his voice. "I don't know much about his father, except that he was an alcoholic and not a good man. Aalekh lost his mother at an early age, and grew up in orphanages. He started drinking, got into fights, and was eventually sent to a remand home. It was from there that the judge made the decision to send him to KMA. If anyone knows what pain in life is, then it's Aalekh."

Naina nodded in understanding, because she also knew what pain was and how difficult it was to bear it without breaking down. She was lucky that she had had her mother's support, and that they had gotten her married at the right time, otherwise… she could've been in a similar situation to Aalekh today.

And she wondered, whether the look of understanding that she saw in his eyes at the breakfast table today was because he had recognized somebody else who had suffered just as he had suffered.

She wondered whether he had seen beneath her disguise, whether he had realized the truth about her.

If so then it could prove to be very dangerous.

Naina wasn't sure why, but she wasn't worried. She didn't think that he would expose her even if he found out the truth.

Because surely a person who had suffered so much would not betray somebody who had experienced the same pain.

They arrived back to the academy and Raj walked her to the room.

"I know you'll need to study now so that you can catch up," he told her, "Most of the students choose to study either in the mess or in the library, or you can stay here in the room. I'll be preparing my lesson plan for tomorrow, but let me know if you need anything."

Naina nodded, "I might go to the mess," she told him, "I wouldn't mind some of Suriji's chai to wake me up after a long day."

"Suriji's chai really is magic, isn't it?" Raj grinned, "I think it's the only reason any of us managed to pass our exams. I'll come and meet you there after I'm done with my preparations."

Naina nodded, and then hesitated near the door.

"What is it?" Raj asked her gently, knowing that there was something that was stopping her from going.

"I don't know what it is… But Dr. Mishra makes me feel really nervous," she admitted to him, hoping that he wouldn't think she was silly. "I don't know how to act when I'm around her, I feel as if she's trying to see inside of me."

Raj nodded in understanding, and Naina was relieved that he didn't think she was being ridiculous. "As a psychiatrist she wants to find out what makes people tick," he told Naina, "Don't worry too much about her, and if she asks you anything just stick to simple answers that you can't be tricked up on. Don't worry Naina, you'll be fine."

Naina nodded and finally left the room with some of her books.

Raj wished that he could protect her, that he could keep her away from everyone that made her nervous, but he knew that that wouldn't really help Naina. She needed to build her confidence and her courage and she could only do that by venturing into unfamiliar situations and facing her fears.

Sighing, Raj sat down to prepare his lesson plan for the next day.

He just had to trust that everything would turn out alright.

/

Naina arrived in the mess to find it empty except for Suriji and a few orderlies.

"Naina putar, how was your first day at college?" Suriji asked her warmly.

"First class, Suriji." Naina told him with a smile, she really did like the friendly older man, he was so fatherly that he made her feel safe here. "But I have a bit of catching up to do."

"Well you'll be needing some of my special chai then!" he declared, "Sit down and I'll bring some for you."

"Thanks Suriji!" Naina told him, and chose a quiet table in a corner to do her reading. Half an hour later the cadets entered.

"Yeh Lolita ma'am bhi na… she gives us so much work that we never get a chance to recharge." Pooja complained.

"This isn't a civilian college, Pooja." Ali told her, "Of course it's going to be difficult to become soldiers."

"Well you know that I've got no lifetime plan here," Pooja told him, a bit annoyed that he wasn't more sympathetic to her complaining. "Once I find my Ranjha then it's back to my old University and hockey team."

Ali looked a bit upset about this but didn't say anything else.

Naina took the scene in, noticing the look on Ali's face. It was obvious to her that the shy cadet liked Pooja, but she doubted that he would say anything about it or even pursue it. It was a pity really, but Naina decided that she shouldn't interfere, it was up to them to work it out.

Pooja peered over Naina's shoulder at the book she was reading.

"Arre bapre," she exclaimed, "This looks much worse than Lolita ma'am's history assignment."

Naina smiled, "It makes more sense to me because I've been doing it for four years already." She told Pooja, "I'm sure your history assignment would make as little sense to me as this does to you."

"It's just a matter of studying." Yudi said sensibly, "If you all kept your notes as organized as I do, then you wouldn't have any trouble."

"Yudio, we're not all nerds like you are." Huda told him a bit arrogantly, "Some of us have better things to do than keep our notes organized." As if to prove his point, he watched as a female cadet walked past, and then started following her.

"Yeh Hudabhai bhi na… Kabhi nahi sudrege." Ali said, shaking his head.

"Well would you like us to leave you to your study?" Pooja asked Naina, "It does look difficult."

"It's okay," Naina told her, "You're not disturbing me. Come sit down at the table and you can work on your history assignment while I catch up on what I've missed."

The four remaining cadets sat down in the available seats and reluctantly pulled out their books. Pooja groaned, and put her head down on the desk instead.

"Suriji, I think we need four more of your special chais over here!" Naina called out, and Suriji smiled at her thoughtfulness, before beginning to prepare the drinks.

Aalekh stared at his book as if it was written in an alien language. "Can somebody tell me what it says?" he asked them, "The light's a bit weak."

"The light's weak or your English is?" Yudi asked him, raising an eyebrow.

Aalekh glared, giving Yudi his answer.

"You have problems with English?" Naina asked him a little hesitantly, not wanting to offend him.

"What use do orphans ever have for English?" Aalekh asked rhetorically, "So there was no point in them teaching us."

"I could help you with your English if you like," Naina offered impulsively, "We could start after a few days when I've caught up on my own studies. I'm sure that even if you learnt for an hour a day it would make a difference."

Aalekh stared at her in surprise, as if it was the last thing that he had ever expected. "That would be… good." He finally replied, still looking as if he wondered why she had offered.

Naina realized that he probably hadn't had too many offers of help in his life, or much kindness shown to him. It was for that reason that she felt a kind of kinship with him, a connection.

"Arre wah, Qaidi." Huda remarked, having just returned back to the table, his flirting finished. "You'll be an Angrez in no time now."

"So we'll start on Friday then," Naina said, wanting to set a time then. "An hour a day after your classes."

Aalekh nodded, a thoughtful look on his face.

After that they all returned to their own studies, the rest of the cadets helping to translate the text book for Aalekh as they worked on their history assignments.

After an hour, Naina decided that she had done enough for the day and needed a break, so she headed back to the room to find Rajveer still making notes.

He smiled at her as she walked in, and she sat down on the couch opposite him, placing her text books onto the table.

"I've offered to tutor Cadet Aalekh in English," she told him, "I hope that's alright."

Raj smiled at her, affection and pride obvious in his eyes. "That was a very kind thing for you to do, Naina. I know that it will help him a lot with his studies."

Naina smiled back, because after just two days here she was beginning to feel that just maybe, she belonged here. That she could make friends here… even be happy here.

And as Rajveer smiled at her, and then looked down at his own work again in order to finish off the notes he was making, Naina thought about the decision that her father had made two years ago.

He had chosen to marry her to a stranger, hoping that Rajveer would look after her, that he would keep her safe.

And considering her husband thoughtfully, Naina realized that her father had made exactly the right decision.

She knew that he would look after her, that he would support her no matter what.

She didn't need to worry about that ever again.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight

Their lives quickly fell into a routine. Every morning while Rajveer went for a jog, she would get ready for her day at college; when he came back he would shower and dress and then they would have their breakfast together. On the days when his classes didn't clash with her schedule, he made sure that he dropped her off and picked her off from college. Otherwise an orderly would take her and bring her back.

Naina's afternoons were spent studying and completing assignments, or else in the infirmary with Shalini, and then it would be time for Aalekh's English lesson. Naina didn't have to worry about avoiding Ritu, she barely even saw her, she was so busy.

Meanwhile Raj was facing his own challenges. Almost two months had passed since he had been sent to the academy and he still hadn't been able to find out the identity of the spy. His only consolation was that at least the triggers were safe and well protected.

Naina entered their room after her latest English lesson with Aalekh to find Raj just hanging up the phone, a grimace on his face.

"What's wrong?" she asked, setting down the grammar books that she had been trying to use in the lesson with little success. She had decided today that she was going to go back to teaching him basic reading and writing, anything else was far too soon.

Raj put his mobile down on the chair and rubbed his temple tiredly. "That was my godfather," he announced, "He's just returned from overseas and found out that I got married secretly without telling him. He was a bit annoyed."

Naina winced in sympathy. "Did you tell him the truth?" she asked, "I'm sure he would understand then."

Raj shook his head, "I thought it was best not to," he told her, "For now the less people that know the better, even if we do trust them."

Naina completely agreed with him, you never knew when somebody would accidentally say something that they shouldn't. It was better that it remained just between the two of them.

"I didn't even know you had a godfather," she commented, "Are you close to him?"

"Gehlot Saheb is so busy with work that I don't get the chance to see him very often," Raj admitted to her, "But whatever I am today is because of him. He raised me after my parents' death, and taught me how to be a good officer. His daughter Sherry is like my sister but I worry about her. She has no mother and when her father is away from home so often… I try to visit when I have time off work but…"

Naina nodded, understanding perfectly. It was hard enough to lose one parent, but then to hardly see the remaining one… she didn't know what she would've done if her mother hadn't been there to support her.

"So will I meeting them soon then?" Naina asked, feeling nervous at the idea. She supposed that this man was the closest thing she actually had to a father-in-law and he had only just found out that she existed.

"Not yet," Raj reassured her, noticing the look on her face. "He'll be busy in Delhi for another few weeks. And don't worry, it was me that he was annoyed at, not you."

Naina nodded, feeling relieved. At least that was something that she didn't have to worry about for now.

"So how are the lessons going?" Raj asked her, "Do you think he's improving?"

"Well yes," Naina said, "But very slowly. I think I'm going to have to forget about grammar for now."

Raj just grinned, "Let alone English, we could probably work on his hindi too. It's a huge task but I know it's really going to help him."

Naina smiled, even if Aalekh could occasionally be frustrating to teach, she did enjoy their lessons. As quiet as he was, he had begun to open up to her and tell her about his past and his family. Naina wished that she could've been honest with him as well, there were times when she had almost told him about Navin or about her family, but she knew exactly how dangerous that would be for her.

As Rajveer had said, sometimes it was best not to tell people the truth, even if you did trust them. Because you never knew how they'd react, and Naina had found out one too many times how quickly people could change once they learnt the truth.

"So Independence Day is tomorrow," she remarked, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Navin must have told you how it's celebrated in the academy," Raj said with a smile, "It's one of the best days of the year here, especially for those who are in the army. So you can expect the whole place to be decorated, a grand flag raising ceremony and special food and a party in the evening."

"It does sound like fun," Naina commented, "I know that all the cadets are excited about the preparations." In fact it was almost the only thing that Pooja had talked about for the last three days ever since she had found out she was jointly in charge of decorations along with Yudi.

"I'm sure they could use some help," Raj told her. "They'll still be preparing until late tonight, do you want to go and see how they're doing?"

"That would be good," Naina replied, and was surprised when Raj also stood up, intending to come with her.

"Let's go then," he told her, and she walked ahead of him. When the reached the main courtyard, Naina couldn't help but pause and stare in delight to see it transformed this way. She hadn't seen it since a few hours ago when she came back from college and there were nowhere near as many decorations up then. Raj placed a hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him. They were far less awkward with each other after living together for a month but there were still distances and silences that needed to be overcome. Raj knew that it would take time for his and Naina's relationship to grow and he was prepared to wait. He was just glad that she seemed happy here and that she had settled in so well, it had gone better than he ever could've imagined.

They walked into the courtyard, both admiring the decorations, when Ali spotted them. He had been helping Pooja to hang up the strings of coloured paper, and he smiled when he saw them.

"Hi Sir, hi Ma'am," he greeted them politely, "How are the decorations looking?"

"They're fantastic Cadet Baig," Raj told him warmly, "But I thought that you were in charge of the food preparations?"

"Well yes," Ali agreed a bit shyly, "But that's all under control so I thought why not help here as well."

Naina thought that she knew exactly who had asked him to come and help and exactly why it was that he gave in, and by the smile on Rajveer's face she thought that he might as well.

"So you like them, Sir?" Pooja asked, climbing down off the stool she was standing on. "I'm so glad, we've put a lot of our talktime into making it right."

"Well it was definitely worth it, Pooja." Naina told her.

"I'm so happy that you're here with us for Independence Day, Naina!" Pooja declared, "Just think, if BC hadn't made Rajveer Sir bring you here, then we might never have met you!"

"So it was Brigadier Chandook who made Rajveer bring me here?" Naina asked curiously, she'd been so busy since she arrived, that she'd completely forgotten to ask why it was that it had been necessary to come. And in the end it hadn't really mattered, since she was happy that she had.

Raj began to look a bit uncomfortable at this, "Yes, it was Brigadier Chandook, I'll tell you the story another time, Naina."

"Oh no, Captain Rajveer, I think you should tell her now." A smooth voice interrupted, "After all, it's such a funny story."

Naina turned around to find that Ritu had joined them. Once again she began to feel uncomfortable, not sure why this woman's presence affected her so much.

"It's really not that funny," Raj protested, "And does it really matter why Naina came here? The important thing is that she's here now."

"Oh I disagree completely," Ritu told him, "How about I tell Naina why it is that Brigadier Chandook wanted to call her here?"

Naina did want to hear the story, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to hear it from Ritu, especially when Rajveer was currently looking so uncomfortable.

"Actually it's alright," Naina told her, "I can wait until Rajveer wants to tell me."

"No I insist," Ritu argued, "Otherwise he might try and cover it up, and it really is very funny."

"Go ahead then, Dr. Mishra." Raj told her resignedly, "I've got nothing to hide."

"Well Naina, you see your husband is incredibly popular here," Ritu confided, as if she was telling a huge secret, "Among both cadets and faculty members."

Naina just nodded, thinking that she knew exactly what it was that Ritu was trying to hint at.

"And I should tell you that he's especially popular among the female cadets," Ritu added with a wink, "Shalini and I used to keep a tally of the amount of cards and proposals he would receive every week. Anyway, finally Brigadier Chandook was upset with the lack of discipline and ordered Captain Rajveer to find a way to put a stop to it. It was then that he realized he couldn't hide that he was married anymore and admitted that he had a wife. And then here you are with us!"

"I never tried to hide that I was married," Raj broke in, wanting to defend himself. "But nobody ever asked me. If they had, I would've told them the truth."

Naina decided that it was time for her to say something, especially since Pooja was looking on somewhat nervously, realizing the tension that was in the air. "Well I think it was a very funny story." She said, allowing a smile to come to her face. "Thank you for telling me."

"You're not feeling jealous then?" Ritu asked her, sounding surprised, "After all…"

"Why would I be jealous?" Naina replied calmly, the last thing that she was going to do was to give this woman the satisfaction of seeing her lose her temper. "In fact I should be proud if other women admire my husband, after all, they're the ones that need to be jealous, not me."

And with a fake sweet smile, she turned away from Ritu and towards Pooja.

"So Pooja, did you ever send Rajveer any cards?" Naina asked jokingly, "You know you can tell me, I won't be angry."

Pooja laughed, relieved that Naina wasn't upset. "No, I thought he was getting enough sms's in his inbox already, and besides, I was trying to find my out of range caller."

"Well how about we go and see how the rest of the preparations are going?" Naina asked Raj, and he nodded quite eagerly, relieved that she'd managed to handle the situation so well. Naina constantly surprised him, and he was glad to see that some of the spark Navin had told him about had come back. They left there for the mess, intending to see how Suriji and Aalekh were coping with their preparations.

Pooja went back to the decorations and Ritu was left staring after them, more annoyed than ever. Every single plan she made seemed to backfire. She didn't know how it was possible that Naina could not become jealous or succumb to any misunderstandings. It was unnatural.

Either they had a very strong bond…

Or….

It was that or, which Ritu intended to find out more about. It might just help her with the rest of her mission.

/

After checking out the rest of the preparations, Naina and Raj returned to their room, intending to go to sleep early. After all, the next day would be a busy one and they would need to wake early.

Raj was preparing his bed on the floor when Naina emerged from the bathroom, dressed for bed.

"I'm glad that you didn't misunderstand," Raj began, unable to help himself, "Really I never encouraged any of those girls to send me cards or love letters, I'm not sure why they all did it, but…"

Naina interrupted him, "It's alright, you don't need to explain. After all, who else are they going to send love letters to in the academy, Major Nair?"

Raj stared at her for a minute and then started laughing. Naina thought it was quite funny that he seemed to have absolutely no idea how attractive he was, or why girls would want to send him love letters. Because he was attractive, that was for certain.

However there has been been a doubt at the back of her mind for quite some time now, a doubt that she felt she needed to clear.

"Rajveer…" she began, and hearing his name in such a serious tone, he turned towards her. Naina was sitting cross legged in the middle of the bed and he came to sit down on the edge of it.

"What is it, Naina?" he asked her.

"I'm not sure if I should ask or not… it's fine if you don't wish to tell me. But I do want to know…" she knew that she wasn't expressing herself well, but it was still difficult to talk about things like this. "When we got married… there wasn't any girl at that time that you loved was there? Anybody that you had to give up?"

Raj smiled, and shook his head. "No, there wasn't," he reassured her, "I've always been quite unlucky in love, and so there were no girls that you have to worry about. There was one that I liked during my academy days, but it didn't work out."

Happy that he'd told the truth, Naina decided that she should be honest too. "There was a boy I liked during high school." She told him, "I thought that he liked me too… but then Navin Bhaiyya was accused, and just like everybody else…"

"It's okay, Naina." Raj stopped her, knowing that it must be difficult for her to talk about. He reached out and took her hand briefly, squeezing it, but just as quickly let it go. He was never sure about which boundaries it was alright for him to cross, especially with things like showing affection.

Getting up from the bed, he went to his mattress on the floor and lay down. "But I do want to thank you for being so mature about it," he told her, "It would've been understandable for you to be angry at me for not telling you the truth."

"No," Naina replied, "It wouldn't."

She had begun to realize now that Dr. Mishra was definitely trying to create trouble between them. She didn't know whether it was because the psychiatrist was in love with her husband or for some other reason, but she was sure that she was right.

However Naina wasn't going to let her succeed.

She could never misunderstand Rajveer or blame him for anything, because only she knew how much she owed him, how much she had to be thankful for.

What he had done for her, she could never repay in this lifetime.

But she could certainly try.


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine

They woke early the next morning, as Raj knew that he would have to check over the preparations before the flag raising ceremony. He had received a worrying note the previous day warning him that something was going to happen today during the ceremony and he wanted to inspect everything fully. He couldn't take a risk that the spy wouldn't carry out their threat, he knew that they were serious.

He hadn't told Naina about it as he didn't want her to worry, but now he was wishing that he had. At least that way she would be on alert, and far less likely to become injured or harmed in any way.

However seeing her so happy about the day that lay ahead, he didn't have the heart to tell her and spoil her mood. He would just have to make sure that he averted disaster before it was too late.

The spy had announced their intention to create a hungama in the academy, warning him that he should leave before it was too late. Raj had no intention of leaving or of allowing the spy to win.

"I'll go and inspect the preparations now, Naina." He told her, putting the finishing touches on his formal uniform as he stood in front of the mirror.

"Alright, I'll go and see Shalini in the infirmary," Naina informed him, "She said that we could go to the flag raising ceremony together, so I will see you there."

Giving her a smile, Raj left, intending to inspect the academy from top to bottom in order to find a clue of what the spy planned to do.

Naina made her way to the infirmary, knocking lightly on the door before opening it.

"Happy Independence Day," She told Shalini with a smile.

"Happy Independence Day to you too!" Shalini told her brightly, "I hope you're ready to see how us military people celebrate the most important holiday of the year."

"I certainly am," Naina told her, "I've heard so much about it before now that I can't wait to see it for myself."

"Rajveer must have told you, right?" Shalini said, guessing. Naina just nodded, unable to admit that it had actually been her brother who had told her the most.

"He's quite excited to be celebrating Independence Day in his old academy again," Naina told Shalini, "All week he's been telling me about how they used to prepare for it when he was here along with…" she stopped suddenly, realizing that she'd been about to say too much, "Along with all of his friends."

Shalini smiled at the slightly lost look on Naina's face, assuming something else entirely.

"You know Naina, you're lucky to have a husband who adores you so much," Shalini told her, "I don't know how he ever coped without having you here."

"It's not…" Naina began to say, a bit embarrassed, "I mean to say…"

"There's no need to deny it, I've seen the way he looks at you, it's clear to everybody."

Naina blushed, because even she had noticed the way that Rajveer looked at her sometimes, although she had pretended not to. It gave her a feeling low in her stomach that she couldn't quite describe.

"You're right, I am lucky." Naina told her, "But I'm sure that you'll find a good husband too."

"Actually I'm already married," Shalini admitted, "But we're currently separated."

"Oh," Naina suddenly felt terrible for her earlier comment. "I'm really sorry, I didn't know."

"It's okay, nobody here does." Shalini said with a shrug, "Rajveer wasn't the only one that decided to keep his marriage a secret."

"I hope that everything will work out," Naina told her, "You really do deserve somebody who loves you."

"We don't always get what we deserve in life." Shalini remarked sadly, and Naina couldn't help but think about how true that was. She thought about all the people in this academy who had been hurt for various reasons, who had received too much pain in life. Now it had been revealed that Shalini was also a member of that list.

"So tell me about the first time you and Rajveer ever met," Shalini said, the smile having returned to her face. "I know you had an arranged marriage, but you must have had some type of reaction when you first saw him."

Naina thought back to that day. She had barely looked at him, she hadn't had the courage, and she had spent most of the time crying while he told them the truth.

"I liked his honesty," she told Shalini, "He was very sincere, very kind, and he was genuinely worried about my Baba, about our situation…"

"Your Baba?" Shalini asked, and Naina realized that she had revealed more than she should have.

"Baba was dying of cancer when we first met." She admitted, "He wanted me to be settled properly before he went, to fulfil his last duty. That's why I got married so young."

A look of understanding came onto Shalini's face, suddenly a lot more things are starting to make sense. Naina's quietness, Rajveer's reluctance to answer too many questions about their marriage.

"Well I'm glad that your father made such a good choice for you," she told Naina, "Otherwise we never would have met."

Naina smiled too, agreeing with her. She was slowly becoming comfortable with Raj, and the more she grew to know him, the happier she was.

But so many things could still spoil that happiness… and Naina worried about that too.

"Well shall we go to the courtyard?" Shalini asked her, "It's almost time for the flag raising ceremony to begin."

/

Ritu smiled.

It was the perfect plan, it really was.

She knew that he would figure it out in time, and she knew that he would stop it, but that wasn't the point.

He would know that the spy was serious, and in his panic, he might slip up and reveal something important about the location of the triggers.

And besides that, her plan had another intended benefit…

Yes, it would work quite nicely.

/

It was only ten minutes before the ceremony when Raj received the next note, and he immediately began to panic. The spy was definitely planning on carrying their attack out, and he still hadn't been able to figure out exactly what that was.

He stood in the main courtyard, knowing that they were most likely to strike there, alert and on the lookout for anything suspicious. The cadets had already assembled and were standing in formation, and now the faculty members were entering. He saw Naina enter with Shalini, moving to stand with Suriji and Lolita. He was beginning to think that he should've warned her, warned somebody, but nobody was supposed to know that a spy had infiltrated the academy.

Raj took his position, alert for any changes or sudden movements. It was only when Brigadier Chandook began to speak that he realized there was only place he hadn't thought to inspect, one place where an explosive device could be hidden. And Brigadier Chandook would be a very good target for any spy wanting to make a statement.

However when BC called upon Dr. Mishra instead, Raj decided that the spy couldn't have known about this plan. He was sure that his suspicion was right, he didn't stop to think that he could be making a mistake. As Dr. Mishra stepped forward, preparing to unfurl the flag, Raj rushed towards her.

"Dr. Mishra, don't do it!" he called out, and she looked up, an expression like surprise on her face, then unfurled the flag anyway. Quickly he launched himself forward, pushing her out of the way as the flag rose and there was an explosion.

The cadets began screaming, and scattered towards the exits. Raj was vaguely aware of somebody calling out his name as the smoke settled and he found himself on the ground with Ritu. Quickly getting up, he offered her a hand, noticing that she had a nasty scrape on her arm.

"Cadets, calm down!" Brigadier Chandook called out, "Stand to attention right now!" Reluctantly, and a bit fearfully they did so, looking around as if to make sure that there wasn't going to be another explosion.

Naina and Shalini both hurried over, wanting to check that they were both okay. As Naina came up to him and touched his face, Raj realized that he had a small cut on one cheek. She took a hold of his arm then, and looking at it for the first time he winced, realizing that a small piece of shrapnel from the exploding stand had lodged itself in his arm.

"Rajveer…" she said, and the look on her face was of such terror that he had no idea how to comfort her.

"It's fine, Naina." Raj reassured her, "It's not a major injury, I'll be perfectly okay." But she was still clutching his arm as if to convince herself that he was alright, he wasn't going to die, he wasn't going to leave her…

"We need to get you both to the infirmary," Shalini told them, "Especially you, Captain Rajveer. We need to remove that shred of shrapnel from your arm as soon as possible."

"Just one second, Shalini." Raj told her, and taking a moment he stood and saluted the flag with his right hand. Naina, Shalini and Ritu all joined him, and when his duty had been completed they headed towards the infirmary, Naina still holding Raj's arm, trying to stem the flow of the blood without touching the scrap imbedded in his arm.

When they reached the infirmary, Shalini sat Ritu down on the couch and then turned to Raj, making him her first priority. "We'll remove the shrapnel first," she told him, "It doesn't seem as if it's imbedded too deeply, so hopefully it won't cause you too much pain."

Naina didn't leave his side, in fact she held his right hand as Shalini dug the metal out of his arm.

Overwhelmed by the pain for a moment, Raj clutched her hand even tighter, then realized that he might be hurting her and relaxed his grip. Finally Shalini was done and she turned to him with a grim look on her face. "You're very lucky, Captain." She told him, "And so are you, Rituji. If Captain Rajveer hadn't realized in time then…"

Ritu nodded, looking thankful. None of them could possibly have guessed that she had expected it to turn out exactly this way. If Captain Rajveer hadn't realized in time then she would've gotten herself out of the way, her training had been the best.

"Alright Naina, why don't you bandage your husband's arm and fix up his cheek and I'll attend to Ritu." Shalini suggested and Naina nodded, still looking a little white and unable to speak.

Taking the bandaging material, she wrapped it carefully around Raj's arm, being careful to apply exactly enough pressure to stop the bleeding as soon as possible. That done, she began to clean the scratch on his cheek before applying a bandaid to it, knowing that it wasn't too deep. After she was done she brushed his cheek with her fingers almost tenderly, and then stood beside him, one of her hands resting on his arm lightly.

Shalini had been cleaning the scrape on Ritu's arm and bandaging it, but she couldn't miss seeing Naina's reactions or the care that she gave to Raj. And while Naina may not have seen it, she certainly noticed the look that Raj had given his wife while she was bandaging his arm. She was just glad that he was perfectly alright, otherwise she didn't know how Naina ever would've coped.

If Shalini had been less involved in watching them then she may have noticed the look of annoyance on Ritu's face instead. This hadn't been how it was supposed to work out. Now she had to watch the Captain romance with his wife in the infirmary when he was supposed to be worried about her instead.

"I'd better go and report to Brigadier Chandook." Raj told them, "He will need a full report now about the incident."

"Are you sure that you shouldn't be resting?" Naina asked him worriedly, "I mean, your arm…"

"Naina, I've had worse injuries than this before." Raj told her, "And right now I think it's best to reassure the cadets that Dr. Mishra and I are both fine and that everything is under control."

Naina nodded, realizing that he was right, she had seen the way they had panicked when the bomb exploded. If she was honest then even she had panicked, but instead of running she had stood frozen to the spot. She knew that she had screamed his name, for a moment fearing the worst.

"Alright," she told him, "I'll go and see how the cadets are doing, will you come there after seeing Brigadier Chandook?"

"I will," Raj promised her, "Try to keep their spirits up for me."

Naina headed off to find the cadets, and Raj left to report to Brigadier Chandook, knowing that he would have to explain how he knew about the bomb. He thought it may be best to tell him about the anonymous note he received without revealing anything more.

As soon as they'd left the room, Shalini turned to Ritu and smiled.

"Well at least everybody is alright," she announced cheerfully, although she was honestly worried about the fact that somebody had managed to plant a bomb within the academy without their knowledge. "What a sweet pair they make."

"Of course." Ritu said, resisting the urge to glare after them. Her plan had only half worked, while it had been a good challenge to Captain Rajveer in order to let him know of her presence, it had failed to bring him any closer to her. In fact if anything, it had just helped to prove how close he was to his wife.

Ritu had had enough, she would have to come up with a new plan, and soon.

/

Naina had been trying to calm down the cadets when Raj finally arrived, having finished his meeting with Brigadier Chandook. He spent a further few minutes with them, impressing upon them the importance of not allowing terrorist attacks to scare you, as this was exactly what the terrorists wanted. After his brief speech he noticed that at the very least, they appeared a little calmer and more determined. He knew that they would become good soldiers, all they needed was a bit of encouragement and a chance to prove themselves.

"How did you know?" Naina asked him quietly as they left, "How did you figure out that it was going to happen?"

"Somebody sent me a note," he admitted to her, "It was lucky that I guessed in time, it was only when Brigadier Chandook started talking about the flag raising that I realized where they may have hidden the bomb."

Naina nodded, and they headed for the mess where Suriji was preparing to serve a special lunch, not wanting the earlier attack to disrupt the rest of the plans for the day.

Naina remained by his side whenever possible for the rest of the day, and Raj couldn't help but notice the way she kept glancing at him as if to reassure herself that he really was okay.

Luckily the rest of the day passed exactly to plan, and the cadets were allowed some time off to relax and play games. Raj was tired after the long day and his injury and he decided to go to bed early after dinner, realizing that he would need sleep in order for his body to recover.

Naina followed him inside the room, still watching him carefully. When he began to unfold his bedding on the floor, she stopped him.

"I really don't think you should be sleeping on the floor with your arm like that," Naina told him, "Sleep on the bed tonight."

Raj looked at her, surprised. "But I…" he began to say, "I mean, are you sure?"

"As a doctor in training, I'm very sure." She replied confidently, and then seeing his continued uncertain expression she smiled slightly as if to reassure him. "Really it's fine," she told him, and picking up his pillow, Raj lay down on the bed for the first time in a month.

Naina also climbed into the bed, adjusting the covers over herself and then checking that he was comfortable. "Just try not to roll onto your arm in the night," she told him, "And if you're feeling any pain then wake me up immediately."

"I will," Raj promised, even though he would prefer not to, "Hopefully these painkillers that Shalini has given me will last until morning."

They lay a short distance apart from each other, and yet each was very aware of the other's presence, of their proximity. Naina switched off the light, and Raj could hear her breathing in the dark, he could tell from the speed of her breath that she was not exactly calm.

"I was really scared today," she said quietly, "I thought that you…"

He wished that he could see her face, but it was far too dark.

"That's what the life of a soldier is like, Naina," Raj told her, "Sometimes things like this happen."

"It's alright, you're fine." She said, almost as if to reassure herself.

"Nothing will happen to me, Naina." Raj promised her, "Don't worry too much."

There was silence for a minute, and then….

"Happy Independence Day," she whispered to him quietly.

"Happy Independence Day." He replied, and then allowed his eyes to close and sleep to overcome him.

Despite everything, it had turned out quite well.


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Naina woke in the morning to find Raj still asleep beside her, something that she was not used to. Usually by the time she woke up he had already left for his jog, but she supposed that the pain killers Shalini gave him had knocked him out. She was relieved, since she didn't think he should be doing strenuous exercise the day after such a serious injury anyway.

It was the first time that Naina had ever seen him asleep, and she shifted onto her side in order to watch him. He seemed far more peaceful like this than he did while awake, and his hair fell over his forehead messily. She resisted the urge to push it back, knowing that the movement might wake him up.

Instead, very quietly and slowly, Naina got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to get ready for the day, intending to allow him to sleep for awhile longer. When she returned dressed and ready for her day at college he still hadn't woken up, so Naina went to the kitchen to prepare some chai and breakfast, thinking that it would probably be best if he had it in the room today rather than having to go to the mess.

She was just opening the door, returning from the mess where she had gotten some ingredients from Suriji when Raj woke up, sitting up slowly and wincing slightly as he flexed the arm that was injured.

"You didn't wake me up," he commented, sounding slightly embarrassed for having slept so late.

"It's better for you to get as much rest as your body needs," Naina told him in a very no nonsense tone. "And there was no way I was letting you go for a jog today."

Raj smiled, looking amused at the way she was talking to him. "How could I forget?" he asked her, "I can't get away with anything when my wife is a doctor in training, can I?"

Naina felt like blushing and couldn't believe how ridiculous she was being. After all, it wasn't the first time he had referred to her as his wife, but he never addressed her as that when they were alone together.

"Anyway go and get ready," she told him, "And try not to get your wound wet. After you're dressed I'll apply fresh bandages."

Raj looked down at the bandage on his arm to see that there was a small blood stain there. It wasn't the first time he'd dealt with a wound that needed to heal, but it was the first time he'd done so with somebody who was so worried about him.

"I'll be careful," he promised her, and taking his clothes with him, headed to the bathroom.

By the time he came out, he could smell mushrooms and eggs frying, and couldn't believe how delicious it smelled. Generally they had so little time in the morning due to Naina's college that they both just ate their breakfast in the mess.

Smiling, he made his way to the kitchen, peering over Naina's shoulder as she stood by the frypan, waiting for the eggs to be ready.

"I can see that I should get injured far more often," he joked, "This smells far better than Suriji's breakfasts."

"Well you definitely need some protein and iron," Naina told him, "And you don't need to get injured to have breakfast cooked for you, you just have to wake me up earlier."

Raj looked embarrassed at having suggested that he would like her to cook more often.

"Naina, I know how busy you are with your college at the moment," he told her, "I don't want you to have to take on any extra responsibilities."

"Still, maybe occasionally…" Naina said, "Even I miss cooking, when I was at home I used to help Ma, and Bhaiyya would often say that my pakoras were the best he ever tasted."

She stopped after mentioning Navin, and realizing that she has become emotional while caught up in her memories, Raj decided it would be best to distract her.

"Well then I'll definitely look forward to the pakoras," he told her, "But for now this breakfast is looking too good to resist, is it ready yet?"

Naina nodded, and placed the breakfast onto two plates before filtering the chai through a sieve into the mugs. "But first we bandage your arm again," she told him, looking at it with concern.

"But the breakfast will go cold." Raj protested, looking at his plate longingly. It really was a long time since he'd had home cooked food, as much as he loved Suriji, mess food just didn't really compare.

"It will just take a minute," Naina told him, and sure enough it was done quickly, she'd had more than enough practice before now in class.

Raj took a bite of the food and savoured it, enjoying the taste.

"Naina, this is excellent." Raj complimented her, "It's lucky that you don't get time to cook everyday, otherwise I would have to jog twice as far just to stop myself developing a belly like Suriji's."

Naina smiled, knowing that he was trying to joke with her in order to keep her spirits up, having realized how terrified she was yesterday.

"Well I know I don't get time to cook everyday, but it would be good to do so on the weekends from now on." Naina said thoughtfully, "Even I'm sick of canteen food."

They finished their breakfast and after washing the dishes together, Naina collected her books and bag, ready to leave for college.

"Would you like me to…" Raj started to offer.

"Definitely not," Naina told him, back to strict doctor mode, "I don't want you straining your arm and causing the wound to open again. I'll get one of the orderlies to drop me."

"Have a good day." Raj told her.

"You too," she replied, "Just try not to do anything too strenuous."

After she left, Raj prepared his materials for the day and then headed to class, running into Shalini on the way.

"How's your arm now?" she asked him, "I didn't see you two in the mess this morning, did you oversleep?"

"My arm is fine, it's not hurting too much." Raj told her, "And no, we didn't oversleep, Naina made breakfast this morning."

He wished that he didn't sound so gleeful about it, but really the food was very good. And it wasn't only that, there was something about her gesture that touched his heart, the care that she showed in looking after him made him think that things were finally working out.

Shalini smiled, amused by Raj's obvious happiness. "Breakfast was that good, was it?" she asked him, "Or is it more because of the one who made it?"

"What if it was both?" he asked in reply, refusing to feel embarrassed by her teasing. "Anyway, I have a class to teach, so I'll see you later." And he walked away, still with the same smile on his face.

/

Naina returned in the afternoon and after placing her things in their room, she headed to the canteen, intending to do some study.

However she soon realised that it would be just about impossible if she remained there because the whole canteen was in an uproar, the students excitedly discussing something.

"What's going on?" Naina asked Pooja, "Why is everybody so excited?"

"They've just announced the fresher's ball!" Yudi cut in excitedly before Pooja could answer, "Man, I am so excited. I will definitely be Mr Fresher, and it's going to be such a rocking night!"

"Arre Yudi-o," Huda drawled, "First find a date and then become Mr Fresher, you know that it's only couples allowed."

As soon as Huda pointed this out, Yudi started to look a little worried, not having thought about this before.

"Don't worry Yudi, I'm sure you'll find a good date." Naina said reassuringly.

"From where?" Yudi asked desperately, "The only girls I ever talk to here are you, Pooja and Dr. Shalini. Obviously I can't go with you or Dr. Shalini. Pooja, would you go with me?"

Pooja looked a little shocked, while Ali just stared at Yudi awkwardly. "Actually Yudi," she finally said, "I was planning to go with Ali. You'll go with me, won't you Ali?"

Ali looked a bit embarrassed as everybody turned to watch his reaction. "Of course Pooja, as long as you're sure that Rohit won't mind." He said, blushing slightly.

"Oy Osool, why are you worried about that 'out of range caller'," Huda told him, "Our Punjaben wants to make her connection with you, so just forget him."

"Dekh Hudabhai," Ali said a bit angrily, "I don't appreciate comments like that so keep them to yourself, Pooja and I are just going as friends."

Naina decided that it would be best to distract them before a fight developed between Huda and Ali.

"Well at least Ali and Pooja are sorted out, who is everyone else going with?" she asked.

"Has Huda ever had a problem finding girls?" The Jat asked arrogantly, "I just have to announce that I'm available and there'll be a queue of them waiting to ask me."

Everybody else rolled their eyes at this statement.

Aalekh just shrugged. "Nobody." He said, "I don't need to go to this 'fresh ball'."

Naina didn't think it was the right time to correct his English right now.

"Well I do want to go!" Yudi exclaimed melodramatically, "Guys, help me come up with a plan, I need to find a girl who will go with me."

"Don't you have a sister?" Naina asked him.

"Please, I'm not that desperate." Yudi replied, "I'm not going to the fresher's ball with my own sister."

Naina laughed, realizing that he'd misunderstood her. "That wasn't what I meant," she told him, "Why don't you ask your sister to fix you up with one of her friends, I'm sure most girls would love to go to a ball at a military academy."

"Not a bad idea," Yudi said, "Although I'm not sure that any of Neelu's friends would really suit me, but still if there's no better option…"

"Well you'll all have to tell me about it in great detail," Naina told them, "I can't wait to hear what happens."

"But you'll be there too." Pooja exclaimed, sounding as if she couldn't believe that Naina hasn't realized.

"I will?" Naina asked, "But it's a fresher's ball, and I am not a cadet."

"But our teachers are still coming," Yudi informed her, "And of course Captain Rajveer needs a date as well, so you'll be attending too."

Naina couldn't believe how nervous the idea made her, she hadn't realized that she would have to go… dress up… dance…

"Then I suppose that you won't have to tell me about it," she said quietly, and then quickly excused herself, announcing that she needed to go and study.

Raj found her in the bedroom half an hour later, bent over her books with a worried look on her face.

"What's the matter?" he asked her, concerned, "Are you having trouble with your homework?"

"No, that's fine." Naina told him, "I was just in the canteen…"

"Where all the cadets are very excitedly discussing the fresher's ball," Raj broke in. He'd also passed by on his way to their room, and had heard them from out in the hallway. "And?"

"Do we have to attend too?" Naina asked, "I thought that it would only be for the cadets."

"There's no way that we would ever leave them unsupervised in those types of conditions." Raj told her, "At the very least, a fight would definitely break out. Therefore all of the teachers attend but try to stick to the background as much as possible."

"And I have to go too?" Naina asked, still looking worried.

"Naina, what's the real problem?" Raj was sure there was something more to it, "I thought you would be excited to go."

"I've never been to one of these formal dances before," Naina told him, "I didn't even go to my own high school dance, it was at the time of Bhaiyya's trial and…"

Raj nodded, understanding perfectly.

"Well then this will be your very first," he told her, "Generally we have quite a few formal dances a year in the military so you'll probably get used to it quite soon."

"Actually I don't know how to dance." Naina admitted.

"At all?" Raj asked, a little surprised.

"Well of course I can do that filmy type of dance, anybody can do that." Naina said, "But formal dancing…"

Raj smiled, relieved that it was only this she was worried about.

"Then that can be fixed very easily, Naina." He told her, "After all of the boring formal balls I've attended, I can definitely teach you to dance."

Naina nodded, now looking far more relaxed about the idea of a ball.

"Well shall we get started?" he asked her, his eyes twinkling.

"Now?" Naina seemed a little surprised.

"Well there's no time like the present, and we've only got a couple of weeks left until the ball, so yes, right now." And standing up, he pushed the table and chairs back to make them some room.

Naina looked like she was both amused and unsure about this, as Raj bent forward and offered her his good hand. Hesitantly, Naina placed her own in it. Raj tugged her forward so that she was standing closer to him, then placed her other hand on his shoulder before putting his own on her waist, pulling her forward so that they were even closer now.

Naina looked slightly uncomfortable, and Raj paused. "Relax, Naina." He told her, "Just take a deep breath and then we'll begin."

She nodded, took a breath and relaxed slightly. But to tell the truth, in the two years they'd been married, this was the closest that she'd ever been to him physically and she couldn't help but feel a little nervous. His hand was very warm on her waist, and she could feel the strength of his arms as they held her.

"In formal dance the man leads," Raj told her, "So now follow the steps I make, it's alright to look down at your feet the first few times."

Naina nodded, and looking downwards she tried to mirror his steps. Raj made sure that he went slowly and kept the steps simple at first until she had gotten the general idea. Once Naina had mastered the basic steps, Raj decided that it was time to make things a little bit more complicated.

"Now step to the left," he told her, showing her the move. "Exactly. And now to the right, perfect."

He continued to show her various steps and before long Naina had relaxed and begun to enjoy herself. Raj's heart melted as he saw her laugh when she made silly mistakes or finally got a step right. He wanted to give her all the happiness in the world, wanted to make sure that that smile never left her face.

Deciding that she'd mastered the other steps well enough, without warning, Raj spun her out and then just as quickly brought her back in. Naina collided with him, her hands instinctively going to his chest to steady herself as Raj's remained wrapped around her waist. She gazed at him in surprise for a moment before looking away, blushing slightly and trying to control her breathing.

Reluctantly, Raj released her, taking his arms from around her waist, and she took a small step back, still not looking up at him.

"Well I think you've mastered the basics now." He told her, "I hope you're not nervous about the fresher's ball anymore."

Naina shook her head to say no, and they started moving the furniture back into its place.

Raj observed her while she wasn't looking, smiling slightly. They had made some progress, but there was still a long way to go.

After all, everything couldn't happen in one day.


	12. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

The morning of her birthday, Naina woke up to discover that Raj was already gone. She tried to stifle the disappointment she felt, she hadn't really expected him to remember. Last year her mother had told him about her birthday despite Naina asking her not to, and Naina still remembered the surprise she had felt when a gift had arrived for her.

Smiling, Naina shook her head at her own ridiculousness. She didn't remind him and then somehow she had hoped that he would actually remember. Well, it was her own fault really, she had nobody to blame except herself.

Dressing for the day, Naina wore a full skirt and a kurti, before putting the earrings he had sent for her last birthday on as well. After all, they did match. She was just packing her bag for the day when the door opened and Raj entered, already dressed for the day and carrying a bouquet of flowers.

Naina just stared at him, not quite able to believe it.

"You remembered," she told him, "I wasn't expecting…"

Giving the bouquet to her with a smile, Raj then stepped back. "Why wouldn't I remember?" he asked, "I made sure I wrote it down as soon as your mother told me last year."

Naina admired the flowers, smelling their fragrance before finding a vase, filling it with water and putting the flowers in. As she bent over them, she brushed her still loose hair back behind her ear, and Raj noticed that she was wearing the earrings that he had sent to her. He felt a tug on his heart that not only did she keep them, she actually brought them here with her and liked them enough to wear… he had been so uncertain while buying them, not knowing what style of jewellery she even liked and having no experience in buying any.

He couldn't get the small smile off his face, and Naina looked up from the vase once she was done arranging the flowers, seemingly a bit confused as to why he was looking at her in that way.

"I want to call Ma this morning," Naina announced, "It's been about a week since I talked to her and she must be missing me today."

"Of course," Raj told her, "You go and call, I'll just be in the canteen."

Naina went to the telephone in the hallway and dialled the number, anxiously waiting for her mother to pick up. It was the first birthday that she had ever celebrated without her, and it seemed strange that her mother wouldn't be there to feed her cake or smile affectionately when Naina opened her presents.

"Hi Ma," she said when her mother picked up the phone.

"Happy birthday, Naina Beti," her mother wished her, "I'm missing you very much today."

"I'm missing you too, Ma." Naina told her emotionally, "It's my first birthday without you."

"But you have Rajveer there with you this time." Her mother reminded her gently, and Naina suddenly felt the importance of her mother's words, that she was now in a new stage of life.

"He actually remembered that it was my birthday," Naina told her mother quietly, "I didn't expect him to."

Mrs Ahluwalia laughed, "He called me a week ago to ask what he should get you. I tried to give him some suggestions."

Naina was surprised by this, he must have made sure to do it while she was at college so that she wouldn't find out.

"You are getting on well together, aren't you?" her mother asked, sounding concerned, "I know that we conducted your marriage without much warning, and you didn't know him very well at the time, but your father was always confident that things would work out eventually."

"It's fine Ma," Naina reassured her, "You know, it was awkward at first… but it's much better now." She stopped, unable to express herself properly and especially not to her mother. "He's very kind to me." She finally finished.

"You don't know how relieved you've made me by saying that," her mother told her, "I do worry about you there… you've had to deal with a lot from a very young age."

"Ma… can't you come for a visit?" Naina asked, "Even Rajveer would like to see you."

"Naina, you know I can't." Naina's mother told her, her voice trembling. "That place… there are so many memories, I don't think I'll ever be able to go there again. But maybe… you could come home to visit some time."

"I can try," Naina promised, "We get some holidays for Diwali, maybe then."

"Good, I would like that. Don't worry about me, I'm perfectly fine here. Just concentrate on your studies and don't worry about anything."

"I will, Ma." Naina promised her, "I'll talk to you again soon."

"Happy birthday, Beti." Her mother told her.

"Thanks, Ma, I love you."

"I love you too, Naina. Enjoy your birthday."

Naina walked into the canteen and joined Raj at a table where he already had a cup of chai and some breakfast waiting for her.

"So I'll pick you up after college today," he told her, "And then we'll go out."

"Where are we going?" Naina asked curiously, wondering how long he'd had this planned for.

"You'll find out then," Raj told her, a smile on his face.

"But I don't need to dress up do I?" Naina asked a bit worriedly, "I mean I'll be coming straight from college…"

"Don't worry, definitely no dressing up required." Raj informed her, "And there's nothing else you need to worry about either, so relax and enjoy your birthday today."

It was at this moment that Pooja was passing by their table and heard the last sentence.

"It's your birthday today?" she asked excitedly, "Rajveer Sir, why didn't you put the reminder message in our organisers? We could have arranged something, well anyway, Happy Birthday Naina!"

"Thanks," Naina told her, smiling warmly. "And you don't need to arrange anything, I'm used to having a fairly quiet birthday."

It was true, for the past two years it had been only her and her mother… before that, there was her father too of course. Naina remembered the days when Navin was still alive and they would throw huge parties for both of their birthdays, inviting all of their friends home.

By now the rest of the cadets had heard Pooja's loud happy birthday to Naina and they gathered around to wish her as well. Raj sat back smiling quietly as the cadets all started exclaiming about how they would've arranged a party if they'd known.

"But it's not too late," Yudi said, "We can still have something arranged by tonight. We could have a cake… and some music… it would be great!"

"Uh, Yudibhai, maybe they already have plans for tonight," Ali told his friend gently, not wanting Captain Rajveer and Naina to feel pressured into spending time with the cadets.

Raj looked at Naina, trying to judge what she would prefer by her expression. Then turning back to the cadets he smiled. "I think we could definitely be back in time for cake," he told them, "Why don't we make it 9pm?"

"Excellent!" Yudi exclaimed, already getting excited, "I'll order a cake straight away and we can have snacks and…." He stopped suddenly, seeing the two new arrivals who had just walked in, "Dr. Shalini, Dr. Ritu, you should come to the party for Naina tonight!" he told them.

"Party? What's the occasion?" Shalini asked, very interested, "Do I need to say congratulations for anything?" She raised her eyebrows at Raj, who struggled not to blush, knowing exactly what she was suggesting.

"It's Naina's birthday today." He informed them both, "The cadets found out and wanted to have a small party."

"Oh really," Ritu said, her expression changing slightly, "And how old did you turn today, Naina?"

Naina knew exactly what it was that she was trying to say, but replied calmly anyway. "Twenty one."

Shalini didn't make any comment, but Ritu couldn't help herself. "I always forget how young you are." She told Naina in a very sweet tone.

"I've always been very mature for my age," Naina informed her in a tone that clearly said she knew exactly what Ritu was up to.

"Well I would love to attend this party tonight," Shalini said brightly, trying to diffuse the tension that she sensed. "And I hope you have a great day today, Naina."

"Thanks Shalini," Naina told her with a smile, "I'm sure I will."

"Well I'd better get you to college now, or you'll be getting into trouble on your birthday." Raj commented, checking his watch.

They said their goodbyes to everyone and he drove her there, stopping in front of the steps to the college.

"So don't be late, we have a lot to do this afternoon." Raj told Naina in a mock serious tone. His heart flipped for the small smile she gave him in return. He just hoped that everything went to plan and that she enjoyed herself today.

/

The entire day Naina remained distracted, trying to work out what Rajveer has planned for the afternoon. He hadn't given her any type of hint except for saying that she didn't need to dress formally, so it could be anything. She was relieved that he hadn't planned anything large, she would far prefer to celebrate her birthday casually than with a lot of fanfare.

Her eyes kept drifting to the clock, and she had to force herself to pay attention to what the professor was saying. The moment that the final bell rang, Naina quickly said goodbye to her friends and headed for the exit. She couldn't believe how nervous she was feeling, as if she was heading for a first date. And the sight of Raj waiting, leaning against the side of the jeep, was enough to make her feel even stranger, butterflies appearing in her stomach.

She climbed down the stairs quickly, coming to stand face to face with him.

"Did you have a good day so far?" he asked, and she nodded. "Well, shall we go?"

Naina climbed into the jeep and they drove to their first destination, which was definitely not what she had expected.

"You're taking me to a mall for my birthday?" she asked, with a tone of slight disbelief. She hadn't quite known what to expect but this was well… certainly different.

"You're not happy?" Raj asked, sounding nervous. "We can go somewhere else…"

"No, no." Naina replied quickly, not wanting to hurt his feelings. "I'm just not sure what it is we're doing here."

"We're here to buy you presents." He told her, "Don't think that I haven't already bought you something, because I have, but more presents never hurt anybody."

"Really, there's no need." Naina reassured him, "Whatever you've bought me will be fine."

Raj laughed, "I know it will be fine," he told her, "And I know that there's no need, so you can stop protesting now. It's just that ever since you've arrived I haven't really taken you anywhere, or bought you anything. I was remembering how whenever I see them, my friends always complain about their wives spending all their money so I thought that you deserved an opportunity to do the same thing."

Naina couldn't help but smile at this reasoning, and although she was feeling a bit embarrassed at being told to go and spend his money, she knew that she wouldn't be able to refuse.

And the look on his face was so… hopeful… that she didn't want to say no anyway.

"Alright, let's go then." Naina told him, "But only if we get some things for you as well."

For the next couple of hours they roamed around, visiting various shops, while Naina tried to stop Raj buying too much for her, and he tried to convince her that she needed yet another item. She picked shirts out for him, while he stood watching her, overwhelmed by how much this small action affected him.

"Are you newly married?" the shopkeeper asked with a knowing smile when they came to the counter with their purchases.

"Yes," Raj replied, because it was not actually too far from the truth.

Finally Naina managed to convince him that they really did have enough, and they headed back to the jeep.

"Well I hope you're hungry," Raj told her, "I was thinking we could have an early dinner, especially if we're going to have to be back at the academy for cake by 9."

"Actually I am quite hungry, I never knew that shopping gave you such an appetite," she joked with him.

Raj took her to a nice Italian place that was a short distance out of town with a nice view.

"How did you…" Naina began to say.

"I cheated," Raj admitted, "I asked your mother what your favourite food was."

"You've gone to a lot of effort today," Naina told him quietly as they sat down, "Thank you. Nobody has ever done anything like this for me before."

"Naina, it's the least I can do for you." Raj's expression was earnest as he said the words, "It hasn't been any trouble at all, and I've enjoyed seeing you so happy."

Naina looked away, knowing that if she looked at him for any longer she was going to start blushing. She felt like a stupid schoolgirl, and wished that she could control herself better.

Their food arrived and they chatted while they ate, Raj asking Naina to tell him about some of her previous birthdays. She was in the middle of telling him a story about what Navin had done at one of her parties when she was ten, when she suddenly realized that she hadn't become emotional while telling it.

"It's okay to remember him happily, Naina." Raj told her, understanding the look on her face perfectly, "That's what he would've wanted."

And Naina realized that maybe she finally was ready to remember Navin with happiness, that while her sorrow would always be there, it did not have to tinge all recollections of him.

By the time they finished their dinner, it was already dark outside, and Raj suggested that they go for a short walk. Leaving the restaurant, they headed down the road, walking mainly in silence until they reached a lookout from where they could see the lights of Ambala shining in the distance.

Raj sat down on a bench there and motioned for Naina to join him, which she did.

"So I did buy you a real present," he told her, and pulled a box out of the inside pocket of his jacket, handing it to her.

Naina undid the bow on it curiously, before opening the box. Seeing the contents, she looked up at Raj questioningly, unable to quite believe it.

"At the time we got married I didn't give you anything," he explained, "If things had been different, if my parents had been there, then you would've received more than this at that time."

Naina pulled his present out of the box, admiring the simple golden bangles that he had given her. They were not overly ornate or heavy, and she wondered how it was that he knew her taste so well.

"They're beautiful," she told him, and before she could think about the meaning of her action, placed the bangles into his hand and held out her wrists.

Raj stared at her for a moment unable to quite believe it, before he recovered and slid the bracelets onto her wrists one by one.

When he had put the last one on her, he didn't let go of her wrist immediately, holding it lightly in his hands. If Naina had had the courage to look up, then she would've seen that the look in his eyes was something that could only ever be described as love.

Finally Raj dropped her wrist, and clearing his throat slightly, he stood up. "Well, shall we go back?" he asked, and Naina stood too, brushing imaginary dirt off her skirt self consciously.

/

They entered the academy and headed straight to the canteen where the small party has been planned. Naina was relieved to note that Dr. Mishra was nowhere in sight, although everybody else including Suriji and Lolitaji were already gathered.

They'd decorated the mess simply with some blown up balloons and streamers, but Naina couldn't help but feel touched at the effort they'd gone to. There was a cake on the table with twenty-one candles on it, and when she walked in, Suriji began to light them.

"First thing's first, putar," Suriji told her, "You'll have to blow out your candles and then we'll all have some cake. After all, we don't have too much time before lights out."

When the candles were lit, Naina stood before them, trying to make up her mind. There were many things that she could wish for, many things that she wanted in life, but right now she had no idea what she should ask for. She wished... that the bad times might be behind her now, and that her future could be clear. She blew the candles out before cutting the cake, and taking the first piece, she offered it to Raj. He accepted, before picking up another piece to feed her, and Naina found herself struggling not to blush once again.

After that, everyone gathered around, eating cake and laughing and talking, and Naina realized that really, genuinely, she hadn't needed to make any wish at all.

Because she couldn't remember a time recently when she'd ever been this happy.

And that was good enough for her.


	13. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve

The fresher's ball was now only a week away, and everyone was in such a state of excitement that Naina decided it would be best if she stuck to her room to study, since she wouldn't be able to get a moment's peace in either the canteen or the library.

With only a week remaining, Aalekh was still protesting that he didn't want to go, Yudi was still panicking that he hasn't found a date, Huda was currently trying to decide on his date through a process of elimination and Ali and Pooja…

Naina was surprised to hear a knock at the door as she hadn't been expecting anybody. She knew that Raj was in a meeting with Brigadier Chandook and Major Nair about some drills that they were planning on introducing.

She crossed to the door and opened it, finding a very upset looking Pooja Ghai standing outside.

"What does that missed call think of himself?" Pooja fumed, storming into the room, "That if he doesn't want to go with me, I can't find another connection? I could've made my connection for the ball with anyone, but I thought we would have fun together and he…"

"Pooja, what's going on?" Naina asked her, not able to work out anything from her long and angry rant. "Calm down and tell me what's wrong."

Pooja suddenly looked around, as if realising that she'd just stormed into the personal quarters of one of her teachers. "Rajveer Sir isn't here, is he?" she asked nervously.

"No, he's in a meeting at the moment." Naina told her, "Why don't you sit down, I'll make us some chai and we can talk about whatever the problem is."

Pooja nodded miserably and crossed to where the couches and table were, noticing the open books on the table.

"I'm so sorry, I've disturbed your study, haven't I?" she asked, "I'll just come back later, I didn't even think before I…"

"Pooja, sit down." Naina told her sternly. "I was just about to take a break anyway, so relax and give me one minute to make this chai."

"Yes ma'am," Pooja replied instinctively, and Naina laughed, realising that maybe her tone had been a little too strict.

Bringing the chai over, she sat opposite Pooja, handing her a mug.

"Now tell me what the problem is… slowly. And we'll try to work it out." She promised.

"That missed call Ali… I made my connection with him for the fresher's ball, he's my best friend here and I had just thought…. But just now I walked into the canteen to find him telling everybody in full volume that he's not my date!"

Pooja looked extremely upset and Naina wondered how long it would take her to finally realise that what she felt for Ali was more than she would currently admit to herself.

"I'm sure there's been a misunderstanding," she reassured Pooja, "Why don't you go and ask Ali what actually happened?"

"Because I don't want any talktime with him!" Pooja declared angrily, "I'll find myself another date for the fresher's ball and I'll have so much fun without him that…"

"Pooja, we both know that you won't have as much fun if you go with someone else." Naina told her sensibly, "And I'm sure that Ali does want to go with you, he's just so shy… they must have been teasing him for him to say something like that."

"Do you really think so?" Pooja asked, looking as if she felt a little better, "Those unwanted callers… why do they keep going on with their 'ooooooooooos' all the time. They know the reason I came here, to look for my Ranjha."

Naina was silent at this, she wished that Pooja would forget about the boy who had betrayed her and move on in life. From what little she had heard about Rohit, she doubted if the boy had ever really loved Pooja at all.

"Is that really the only reason you're here?" Naina asked her, "You don't actually want to become a soldier?"

"Well at first that was the only reason," Pooja said thoughtfully, "But now my network is catching KMA's properly, it's not so bad training to be a soldier, and I've found such good friends here…"

Naina wanted to tell Pooja that she shouldn't waste her life waiting for a boy who didn't deserve her, but she wasn't sure if she should interfere too much. It wasn't the right time to say it just yet.

"So then you'll go and talk to Ali and sort this out?" Naina asked her, "Because I want you both to have a good time at the fresher's ball."

"Alright, I'll go and see where his network has failed," Pooja agreed, "Thanks Naina, it really helped talking to you."

"No problem," Naina told her, "You can always come and talk to me whenever you have any problems."

As Pooja walked out the door much more cheerfully, Naina smiled. She had missed this type of thing, chatting with friends about their love lives and problems… it felt nice to finally do it again.

/

An hour later, Pooja and Ali walked into the canteen together to be met by a fresh chorus of 'ooooooooooooooooo'. "Shut up you unwanted callers or I'll cut all your connections!" Pooja told them all angrily. "Ali and I are going to the fresher's ball as friends and if any of you have a problem with that then you can take it up with my hockey stick!"

Everyone quietened down at this, worried that Pooja would actually carry out her threat, and Ali looked a little relieved.

"Especially you, Jat." Pooja addressed Huda, "I want you on limited talktime from now on."

Huda shrugged, "Relax Punjaben," he told her, "This Huda is too busy trying to decide which lucky janani will be his date for the night." And he blew a kiss in the direction of a table of girls who all started giggling.

Aalekh rolled his eyes, "Nautanki saala…" he muttered under his breath.

It was then that Yudi rushed into the room, as usual looking panicked.

"One of you has to help me!" he exclaimed dramatically.

"Sure Yudi, what do you need?" Pooja offered kindly, now in a much better mood that the problem with Ali was sorted out.

"Not you, Pooja, one of them." Yudi informed her, and then turned to the guys.

"And why not me?" Pooja asked, offended, "Do you think that girls aren't as good as guys?"

"Do you want to go to the fresher's ball with another girl?" Yudi asked her seriously.

Pooja just stared at him.

"No, right?" Yudi asked, "And that's why I need a guy. I finally gave up and asked Neelu to fix me up with one of her friends, and she agreed on one condition. That she could attend too, and for that she needs a date." Yudi turned to Ali, "Are you and Pooja still not going together?" he asked. Ali was a safe bet, Yudi knew he wouldn't want to do anything with his sister.

"We are going together so don't even think about it!" Pooja replied before Ali could, glaring at Yudi slightly.

Yudi looked at his other two remaining choices, trying to decide which was the worse of the two.

"Uhhhh…" he started to say.

"Sorry yaar," Huda drawled, "I've already got far too long a list, I can't break the hearts of all those girls."

"Then it's you, Aalekh!" Yudi declared, "Just perfect, you didn't have anyone to go with anyway, now we're going to have so much fun!"

"When did I agree?" Aalekh asked, "I never said I was…"

But Yudi wasn't listening. "Oh this is going to be just great," he was still saying, "I'll go and call up Neelu right now and tell her, finally I'll have a date and I can become Mr Fresher and…"

And he rushed out of the room before Aalekh could protest.

"Well Qaidi, I just hope that Yudi's sister isn't one of those nerdy types like him," Huda joked, "Otherwise you're going to have a really fun night."

Aalekh had no idea how it had happened… but it looked like he was actually going to the fresher's ball.

/

As it was a weekend, it was still quite early in the afternoon when the meeting finished, and Raj and Shalini walked back to his room chatting, opening the door to find Naina still studying, deep in concentration.

"You can't study all weekend, Naina!" Shalini declared to her, "You have to have some fun sometimes too!"

Naina looked up and smiled, happy to see her friend. "What can I do?" she asked, "You two have been in a meeting for the last few hours and all of the cadets are busy with their own plans."

"I could take you out somewhere this afternoon…" Raj started to say, quite a hopeful look on his face.

"Sorry Captain, but no." Shalini told him, and Raj looked at her in surprise, unable to believe that she was telling him he couldn't take his wife out.

"Well why not?" he asked.

"Because this afternoon I'm going out shopping for my ball outfit and I want Naina's company," Shalini told him, "And there are definitely no men allowed on this trip."

Raj looked a little bit disappointed by this but nodded anyway.

"Even I haven't decided what I'm wearing yet," Naina said thoughtfully, "What type of dress code is it?"

"Well for the girls it's red and for the boys it's black," Shalini told her, "And you can buy yourself an outfit while we're out shopping, right Captain?" she grinned at him mischievously.

"Of course," Raj told her, "I've already got a suit I can wear, but you should get yourself something new."

And taking his wallet out of his pocket, he handed the whole thing over.

Naina just gaped at him. "Ah, this is… I mean I don't think I need…"

"Wah… kya pati hai…" Shalini said, partially joking and partially serious, "Just hands over the entire wallet! Stop protesting Naina, and let's go and get you something to wear."

And before Naina could say anything else, Shalini grabbed both Naina's hand and her bag which was lying on the couch and dragged her out of the room. Naina shot a last backwards glance in Raj's direction, and he smiled, shaking his head slightly at Shalini's antics.

/

After they had reached the shops, they were looking around when Naina suddenly asked Shalini something she had been curious about.

"Why didn't you ask Rituji to go shopping with you?" she asked, "I'm sure she has much better fashion sense than me, she would be able to recommend something good."

"Ritu has been in a bad mood lately," Shalini informed her, "I didn't want to take her only to have her spend the whole time complaining and besides, you need to find something to wear too, I'll help you pick."

"What's she upset about?" Naina asked, "It's not anything serious is it?" She still didn't trust the woman entirely, but wasn't going to say anything in front of Shalini, as she knew that they were friends.

"She's upset that she doesn't have a date for the fresher's ball." Shalini said, trying to look sympathetic but grinning anyway. "I suggested that she could go with Major Nair but she wasn't too fussed about the idea."

Naina struggled not to laugh, she would pity any woman who attended a ball with Major Nair. She could just imagine the look on Ritu's face when Shalini made the suggestion.

"Well I hope that she finds somebody to go with," Naina said, and not only for Ritu's sake. If the psychiatrist had a date then she would be less likely to spend time around Naina and Raj, and Naina really didn't like the way that she…

She was broken out of her thoughts by Shalini's exclamation of delight as she found an outfit that she liked. "I think this is just perfect for me," she told Naina, "Should I try it on?"

Naina nodded, and Shalini tried the dress on while Naina gave her comments that she hoped would be helpful. Finally deciding that she did want to buy it, Shalini made her purchase, and they left the store.

"Now we just have to find you a dress… and shoes for both of us… and some matching jewellery." Shalini kept making a list while Naina looked a little horrified.

"All of these things?" she asked, "I thought I just had to get a dress."

"Of course not," Shalini told her, "The rest of your accessories have to match too. And what are you worried about, Captain Rajveer has given you his wallet happily!"

It took them another hour to find an outfit for Naina that both she and Shalini agreed on. Before that everything that Naina had wanted had been a bit too traditional, while everything Shalini had wanted had been a bit too modern, now they had found the perfect mix of both.

"I've never really worn anything like this before," Naina said nervously, looking over the dress one more time, "Are you sure it will look good?"

"Good? Your Captain is going to go absolutely fida over you!" Shalini exclaimed, "Well not that he's not already… so even more fida!"

Naina blushed slightly at this comment, smiling. The thought of Raj going fida over her was a nice one, and she took the dress off the rack, taking it to try it on.

They were both happy with the way it looked, and finally after finding the rest of their accessories, they decided to sit down for a coffee before going back.

"So are you ready to give him a heart attack on the night of the fresher's ball when he sees you for the first time?" Shalini asked her jokingly.

Naina blushed again, "Tu bhi na…" she said quietly, shaking her head slightly.

"Look at you," Shalini said with amusement, "Blushing like a newly wed bride. Nobody would believe that you've been married for two years already."

Naina smiled, wondering what Shalini would think if she really knew what the truth was.

"Well we've never actually lived together properly before this," Naina told her, "Rajveer was posted elsewhere and I stayed at home with Ma to finish my studies."

"You must miss her a lot," Shalini said sympathetically, "I remember what it was like when I left my home for the first time after marriage… of course I had been living in a hostel while training for quite awhile before that, so…"

"Do you still miss your parents?" Naina asked, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"

"I have one older sister," Shalini told her, "Thankfully she's married happily, I think my parents are still cursing the day when they agreed to my marriage… but he was in the army as well so it seemed like a good match." She shrugged, and Naina could sense the hurt she was trying to hide behind her casualness.

"It's not too late to begin again," Naina told her, "To either repair your relationship with your husband or…"

She left the thought unsaid, it was probably best.

"Don't worry about me, Naina, I'll be fine." Shalini replied, doing her best to smile. "And I've got myself a wonderful date for the fresher's ball."

"Who are you going with?" Naina asked curiously, there were not really that many choices within the academy after all.

"Wait and see." Shalini told her with a mischievous grin, back to her normal cheerful self now.

/

Naina and Shalini arrived back with their bags in the afternoon, and Naina entered the room to find Raj typing up a report on his laptop.

"So what did you buy?" he asked curiously, "Do I get to see it?"

Naina smiled, "Not until the ball," she told him, "It will be more interesting this way." She passed his wallet back to him, Raj put it back in his pocket without bothering to check how much money was missing.

"Aren't you going to check how much I spent?" Naina asked him, surprised that he hasn't even asked.

Raj just smiled at her, with an expression on his face that she couldn't quite interpret. "It's your money too, Naina. It doesn't matter how much of it you spend." He informed her, and returned to writing his report.

"I bought you a shirt too," Naina told him, "I know you already have a suit to wear, but I thought you would need something to go with it."

Raj looked up, seemingly surprised, "Well can I see that?" he asked.

"Of course," Naina said, "If you don't like it then I can get it changed before the ball…" she was a little nervous, wondering whether he would like it or not. She handed over the bag and he opened it, pulling the shirt out and admiring it.

"You've got good taste," he told her with a smile, "This will be perfect."

And as Naina went to put her own purchases in the room, she realised that she was actually looking forward to this ball.

With Raj by her side, she knew that nothing would go wrong, because he wouldn't let it be any other way.


	14. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen

"Who did you go to your fresher's ball with?" Naina asked Raj curiously as they ate breakfast in their room on the day of the ball. They had both decided the day before that it would probably be far too difficult to eat in a canteen full of stressed cadets. And so Naina had cooked again, which was just fine by Raj. She had gotten up early to make them parathas, while he had tried to help, cutting ingredients for her but mainly just getting in the way.

Naina hadn't minded in the least, she had just been trying not to smile as he tried to make the correct shape out of the dough and failed miserably. It really was very sweet… In the end she had put him in charge of making the chai, knowing that he at least knew how to do that. She had been surprised by how easy it was for her to boss him around about these things and how happily he had allowed himself to be told what to do by her.

"A girl asked me…" Raj told her, "I think her name was Anjali, I can't remember properly… I didn't know her very well but I had nobody else to go with so I said yes." He smiled wryly, "I was so nervous and shy that half way through the evening she abandoned me and went off with her friends. Luckily Navin and Abhimanyu didn't mind me hanging out with them and their dates."

Naina smiled at that, "I can't imagine you as shy," she told him, "Were you really that bad?"

"I was terrible," Raj admitted, "I had no idea how to even talk to girls unless it was about military tactics. Luckily under Navin's tutorage, I improved a little by the time I graduated from KMA."

He grinned at the memory and Naina laughed, imagining her brother trying to give Raj tips about girls. She knew what a flirt Navin had been, she had seen it for herself whenever he came home.

"As different as Navin, Abhimanyu and I all were, we were still the best of friends," Raj continued, "Maybe it was the differences that brought us together rather than the similarities… this batch of cadets, they remind me of us in some way."

"Where is Abhimanyu now?" Naina asked Raj, "Are you still friends?"

"It was difficult after Navin's death, I couldn't tell him the truth… and the silences grew between us." Raj admitted, "Now we call each other occasionally and see each other even less often than that." He sighed, suddenly thinking of something. "Now there's another person who's going to be angry with me when he finds out I didn't tell him I got married."

"Will you tell him?" Naina asked, "And if you tell him…."

"Then I would tell him the truth about who you are," Raj replied seriously, "I think he's the only one I could truly trust with the information. I know he would understand."

They finished their breakfast and washed up together before Naina left for college.

They said goodbye in the corridor and Raj tried not to look back over his shoulder, but he couldn't help it, he watched her go and at the last moment before she exited the academy she turned back, glancing in his direction. Finding him watching her, she turned away quickly, but couldn't stop the small smile coming onto her face.

Still looking back over his shoulder, now with a grin on his face, Raj collided with someone.

"I'm so sorry!" Raj exclaimed, before he could even work out who it was that he'd bumped into, but the other person just grinned.

"Kya baat hai, the very professional Captain Rajveer Singh Shekawat is now bumping into people in corridors in order to get a last glimpse of his wife," Shalini teased him.

Raj could feel himself blushing slightly, and shook his head. "Shalini… Aap bhi na…" he told her, "Really I wasn't…"

"Oh yes you were," Shalini replied, grinning even wider now, "So don't even try to deny it!"

"Fine," Raj admitted, "I was."

"Well I hope you got a good last look at her, because you're not going to see her again before the ball tonight." Shalini told him, "You can come and pick her up from my room fifteen minutes before it begins."

"But…" Raj began to protest.

"No buts." Shalini told him sternly, "Naina and I are going to have some girl time, I decided last night. I'll pick her up from college, and we'll get ready together."

"And I don't get to see her before that?" Raj asked, "Are you sure that this…"

"Yes, I'm sure! So remember, fifteen minutes before the ball is due to start…" and giving him a mischievous grin she walked off.

Raj muttered something under his breath in her direction, but accepted it.

He was sure that the wait would be worth it.

/

Meanwhile just about every single other cadet was in a state of panic except for Huda, who was perfectly calm. He had nothing to worry about, he knew he would look great, and he had a good looking girl to go with.

However as to the rest of them...

Ali was nervous about how he should attend the ball with Pooja, dance with her and yet not betray his feelings.

Pooja wasn't sure exactly why she was nervous, except that she felt perhaps tonight would be a turning point… she would be attending the party with her best friend, and for once, she wasn't regretting that Rohit wouldn't be there…

Aalekh might have appeared calm on the outside, but inside he was a storm of emotions. Could he really do it? Dress up in a borrowed suit, become just like the others for an evening, pretend that he was part of this world, that he deserved to be a part of it…

And Yudi, well Yudi was in the worst state of all.

"Chief, you have got to tell me honestly," he said, looking at himself in the mirror for the hundredth time in half an hour, "How am I looking? This girl isn't going to be disappointed is she?"

"Relax Yudibhai, it will be fine." Ali told him, "I'm sure the girl will like you."

"But what am I supposed to do? How am I supposed to talk to her? The only things I know how to talk about are computer games and technology and military training!"

"Then let her talk." Aalekh told him with a shrug, trying unsuccessfully to loosen his collar.

"You have no idea how much you've done for me, Chief!" Yudi told him gratefully, "Thank you so much for agreeing to go with Neelu, otherwise I never could've gotten this date!"

Aalekh just grunted, still trying to adjust his suit. "This saala outfit is like a prison," he complained, "I can't move in it."

"But you're looking great!" Yudi said brightly, "We've got definite competition for Mr Fresher right here!"

Huda smirked, completely confident, "Oy both of you stop dreaming, we all know that I'm the one that's going to be Mr Fresher," he told them arrogantly.

Ali refused to make a comment, Aalekh and Yudi exchanged looks that said they would do everything they could to stop it from happening.

/

Raj was trying to get ready in his room when he heard a knock at the door. He went to answer it eagerly, thinking that perhaps Shalini had changed her mind. She had somehow managed to get Naina into the academy without him seeing her, and he knew that if he tried to go and meet her early, he wouldn't be allowed to. There was only half an hour to go now before he could see her, and he was trying to remain patient.

However he opened the door to find Pooja Ghai there, already fully dressed and ready for the night but looking completely miserable.

"What's wrong, Cadet Ghai?" he asked her, "Do you need something?"

"Is Naina here, Sir?" she asked him, "I wanted to talk to her about something!"

"Now?" Raj asked, very surprised.

"Yes, I've got some interference in my network signal at the moment and Naina is the only one that can clear it up!" Pooja told him a bit desperately.

"Well Naina is with Dr. Shalini in her room," Raj informed Pooja, "You can find her there."

"Thank you so much, Sir!" she gushed, and ran off before he could say anything else.

Raj just shook his head in disbelief, hoping that whatever the problem was, it would cleared up before the ball started.

/

Hearing the knock at the door, Shalini peered around it to make sure that it wasn't somebody who shouldn't be there yet.

"Cadet Ghai, come right in!" she told Pooja brightly, "We're just getting ready."

Pooja entered and Shalini closed the door quickly behind her.

"Is Naina here, ma'am?" Pooja asked, and Naina came out from the other room when she heard her voice.

"What's wrong, Pooja?" Naina asked her, seeing the look on her friend's face.

"I can't go to the ball!" Pooja wailed, "I can't! I had thought that… but no!"

"Relax Cadet Ghai," Shalini told her, "Or else you'll ruin your make up."

"I thought it would be fine," Pooja said with a sigh, "Ali and I were just going as friends… but now I'm feeling so nervous, and I keep thinking, am I betraying Rohit by going with another boy?"

"Pooja, whether you and Ali are going as friends or something else, you're not betraying Rohit in any way." Naina told her sternly, "Rohit was the one who betrayed you by leaving you when you needed him, and you don't owe him anything."

"I know that…" Pooja whispered, "I really do… it's just…Rohit was my first love, it's hard to let him go… and Ali… he's so different, I don't know how I should act around him in this situation."

"Act exactly the way you would always act around him," Naina advised, "And trust me, you know Ali is going to be more nervous than you are."

Pooja giggled slightly at this, "You're right, he is more shy than me."

"Well if that's all, Cadet Ghai, then we have to finish getting ready." Shalini told her.

"Of course ma'am, sorry for barging in like this!" Pooja apologised, "And you're both looking absolutely wonderful!"

She rushed out of the room as quickly as she had come, and Naina and Shalini both smiled.

"Well, shall we continue getting you ready?" Shalini asked Naina, who nodded, moving back to her original task.

/

By now the boys were waiting downstairs for their dates, having all agreed to meet in the entrance before the ball. Huda's was the first to arrive, he had finally chosen a girl called Sonali to go with, mainly based upon her looks of course…

As soon as she arrived he complimented her in his typical Huda style and then winking at the others, left to enter the ball.

That left Ali, Yudi and Aalekh. Ali looked like he was about to faint with nervousness and hadn't been able to say anything for the past five minutes.

"Seriously bro, why don't you relax?" Yudi asked him, "At least you know the girl you're going with, you can't seriously be scared of Pooja. What about me? I don't even know what this girl looks like!"

Aalekh turned and looked like he was going to leave.

"Where are you going?" Yudi asked him, "You can't leave! If you leave then Neelu won't let me go with her friend!"

"Relax," Aalekh told him, "I'm going for a drink, I can't do this without some daaru."

"Aalekhbhai…" Ali started to protest, but the look Aalekh gave him quickly shut him up.

"Hey guys!" a cheerful voice announced and they all turned around to watch Pooja walk down the stairs.

Yudi looked impressed, Aalekh had a small smile on his face and Ali had forgotten how to speak again.

"Pooja you look great!" Yudi told her, "I think we've got a definite contender for Ms Fresher right here!"

Aalekh nodded in her direction, "Nice, Punjaben." He told her.

Pooja smiled at both of them then turned to Ali, "How am I looking, Ali?" she asked him.

Ali tried to speak but still couldn't get anything out.

"Don't worry about him…" Yudi said with a smile, "He'll tell you as soon as he's recovered properly."

Pooja looked a bit shy for a minute and then grabbing Ali's hand, led him towards the party, waving at the other two. "See you later, guys!" she told them.

"Well that leaves us then," Yudi said, "Where the hell is Neelu and her friend? If they don't turn up then we'll have to go in together."

"I'm not that type of guy." Aalekh told him, completely deadpan.

"Neither am I!" Yudi said quickly, "But whatever happens I will definitely attend this ball, no matter what!"

Luckily there was no need for them to go in together because right at that moment, Neelu and her friend turned up in a taxi.

"Sis, where were you?" Yudi asked her, "We were about to be late." 

"Chill, bro." she told him, "There's still more than fifteen minutes lbefore it begins, and I've brought you your date, haven't I? Anita, this is Yudi and Yudi this is Anita."

"Oh," Yudi said, trying not to look the girl up and down. "Well it's good to meet you."

"Yeah, you too." She replied, "Is there going to be alcohol at this party?"

"Well yes…"

"Let's go then."

Yudi gave a nervous glance to Aalekh over his shoulder as he followed the girl inside.

Well no matter what, at least he had a date.

Neelu and Aalekh looked at each other, taking in the other's measure.

"I'm Aalekh." He told her, managing to speak without the tapori lingo for once after all those lessons with Naina.

"Neelu," she told him, "You're cute, but don't even think about getting fresh with me or trying to control what I do tonight because Neelu decides for herself what it is that she will and won't do."

"Fine with me," Aalekh replied, "And don't expect me to do any of that formal dancing stuff… because I don't."

Shrugging, they both walked in together, and immediately headed towards the bar.

/

Meanwhile Ritu Mishra was waiting outside her room for her date, wishing that she hadn't needed to be in this situation in the first place.

He turned up exactly on time, probably as a result of all that military training.

"Shall we go, Dr. Mishra?" he asked her, sounding just a bit bored.

"Of course, Major." She told him, and then decided that a bit of flattery wouldn't hurt. "You're looking very dashing tonight."

He just grunted, and then turned to look at her too.

"You don't look bad either." He announced, as if it cost him quite a bit to say it.

Ritu cursed the military and wondered why there couldn't be more eligible men in this academy. If she hadn't had to go to keep an eye on things then she never would've agreed to go with Major Nair in a million years.

/

Raj had already been ready half an hour before the ball began, wearing a suit and the shirt that Naina had bought for him. He had forced himself to wait for the other fifteen minutes, eventually turning up at Shalini's door a minute early.

He knocked and she opened it, peering around.

"Can I come in yet?" he asked, sounding a bit frustrated.

"Well…" Shalini checked her watch, "You are a minute early, but we're both ready and my date will be arriving any minute now so I suppose you can."

"Thank you so much," Raj told her a little sarcastically and then stepped inside, looking around for Naina.

When he saw her, he forgot all of his earlier annoyance.

According to the colour scheme for the night she was dressed in red, in an empire line dress. Her earrings and necklace were simple, and she was wearing the golden bangles he had gifted her.

It was the first time that Raj had ever seen Naina either with her hair pinned up or wearing this much makeup. It made her look glamorous, it made her look…

He suddenly realised that he hadn't taken a breath since he saw her and hastily took one, not wanting to fall unconscious on Shalini's floor.

"Naina, you look…" He was unable to continue the sentence, because he wasn't sure he would be able to find the right words to describe how she was looking right then.

"Beautiful, I know!" Shalini cut in, "Well she should, considering that I helped to get her ready, now you two kids go and have a fun evening, I'll be there after my date picks me up."

"You don't want us to wait?" Raj asked her, still with his eyes fixed upon Naina, who had begun to blush under his gaze.

"Nope, I'm sure he'll be here soon." Shalini reassured him, "Well Captain, offer your wife your arm and go enjoy yourselves."

Raj immediately held his hand out. Hesitating only for a second, Naina placed her hand in his and stepped forward. He then bent his arm, placing her hand in the crook of it and they made their way outside.

"Naina, you really do look beautiful." He told her, "Not that you don't always… but tonight…" he realised he was stammering a bit and decided that he had probably better stop there before he made a fool of himself.

Naina just smiled, "You look good too," she told him a bit shyly, "I've never seen you in a suit before."

"I think the shirt really suits me," Raj told her, "It was a great decision to buy it."

Naina nodded, a smile on her face and they walked towards the entrance of the fresher's ball.

Neither knew what the night had in store for them.

But right now it seemed like things couldn't go any better.


	15. Chapter 14

Chapter Fourteen

Still holding onto Raj's arm, Naina followed him to the entrance of the fresher's ball where quite a few cadets were still hanging around outside. Most of them came up to compliment her and Raj, leading Naina to smile slightly, feeling embarrassed. Seeing her expression, Raj leaned over and whispered to her, "This is nothing, wait until you see the score meter inside."

"Score meter?" Naina asked him, wondering what on earth that was. She hadn't been listening to many of the cadets' conversations about the fresher's ball, having mainly studied in her room for this week due to all the commotion.

"Wait and see." He told her, and they entered the fresher's ball area, pausing at the top of the stairs as a round of streamers were sent up and they were announced. Everyone started clapping, and Naina was beginning to feel even more unsure about this, but Raj gave her a reassuring smile and then descended the stairs together.

Making their way to the score meter, they stood there expectantly until their scores came up on the screen, finding that they had a ten out of ten.

"Not bad," Raj told her with a grin and Naina found herself grinning back, "Well shall we go and say hello to everyone?"

"Of course," Naina told him, "I can't wait to see how they all look… well except for Pooja who I've already seen."

"So she found you then?" Raj asks, "And everything was sorted out?"

"Yes, it was just a bit of nervousness," Naina told him, "She'll be fine now, I'm sure."

They made their way first to where Ali and Pooja were standing along with Yudi.

"You're all looking wonderful," Raj told them, "I hope you're enjoying yourselves so far."

"Oh yes Rajveer Sir," Pooja gushed, "Our talk time here is going very well so far. Ali and I are having a great time but poor Yudi has lost his connection."

"Where's your date, Yudi?" Raj asked him, looking towards the young cadet.

"Over by the bar I think…" Yudi told him, "Well, at least for a few minutes I had a date." 

"Don't worry," Raj replied, "The time will come when you'll have so many girls waiting to go out with you that you won't know who to choose."

"Do you really think so, Sir?" Yudi asked him, brightening up immediately.

"Of course, Yudi, just wait and see." Naina added, "Girls can't resist a guy in uniform."

"Of course you would know about that Ma'am," Pooja joked, "It was lucky for our Rajveer Sir that you couldn't resist him."

Naina blushed at this, while Raj laughed, only a little bit embarrassed.

"Well we'll let you go now," he told them, "Go and enjoy your night cadets, you've earned it."

"Thanks Sir, you and Naina have a good evening too!" Pooja told them, Yudi and Ali echoing it, as Raj and Naina walked away.

Huda and his date were already on the dance floor so they thought it would be best not to disturb them, but when Aalekh spotted the two of them he came over from the bar.

"Wow Aalekh, you look great!" Naina told him, even as Aalekh still pulled at his collar self consciously.

"She's right, Cadet Aalekh, I wouldn't be surprised if you become Mr Fresher tonight." Raj remarked.

Aalekh just shrugged, "I don't know about this whole Mr 'Fresh' thing. What's the point of it all?"

"No point really," Naina replied, "It's just one of those things."

"So where is your date?" Raj asked him.

Aalekh pointed back at the bar. "There," he told them, "Yudi's sister."

Both Raj and Naina looked where he was pointing in disbelief, neither of them had really imagined that Yudi's sister could be like that. It seemed like they were complete opposites.

"Well why don't you dance with her?" Naina suggested, and Aalekh shrugged again.

"I don't know anything about this ball dancing," he told them, "If they put on some normal music I'll come and dance."

Raj hid a grin at the mention of 'normal' music.

"Don't worry Cadet Aalekh," Raj reassured him, "Once Brigadier Chandook has arrived and led the first dance, they'll change it to some faster music."

It was then that they heard the streamers go off again and looked up to see Ritu walk in with Major Nair. She was wearing a gorgeous red sari while he was looking very stiff in a suit. Naina wasn't sure whether she should find it amusing or feel sorry for Ritu.

When they reached the score meter, Ritu scored ten while Major Nair only scored a seven. Raj guessed that the students controlling it probably would've put it even lower if they hadn't been so scared of him. Major Nair looked like he would prefer to be anywhere rather than here.

The pair of them walked over to Raj and Naina, Major Nair already scowling.

"Damn stupid idea for an event," he told them, "Are we trying to make them into soldiers or film stars, everybody dressed up as if they're going to become models…"

"Oh come on Major Nair, even you must have had a fresher's ball in your time," Raj told him, "It's a last opportunity for them to relax before the training becomes really hard."

"You know what they say though, Captain Rajveer," Major Nair replied, still scowling, "For a soldier, aaram, haram hai."

Luckily everybody was saved from having to reply by the arrival of Brigadier Chandook and Dr. Shalini, who after receiving their scores from the score meter, walked over to the microphone and declared the fresher's ball to be officially started.

As the ballroom dancing music started and most cadets sighed in disappointment, Raj extended a hand to Naina, bowing down to her slightly.

"Well Naina, shall we go and join them?" he asked her, his hand still out. Naina placed her hand into his, and Raj closed his fingers over hers, leading her to the dance floor. Both of them were too busy to notice the brief look of anger on Ritu's face before she turned to Major Nair smiling sweetly.

"Let's go," he announced shortly, and without waiting for her, started moving towards the dance floor. Ritu followed him, glaring at his back.

On the dance floor, Raj paused at an empty spot, turning to face Naina and joining their hands. Naina placed hers on his shoulder, and this time when Raj placed his hand on her waist and brought her closer, she didn't pause or look uncomfortable, but just gave him a sweet smile.

Raj could feel his breath catching in his throat again as he looked at her and he held her hand tightly in his. As the music started, they moved slowly, and Raj noticed Naina occasionally looking down at her feet, checking her movements.

"Don't worry," he whispered in her ear, "You're doing great."

"Are you sure I haven't stepped on your foot yet?" she asked him, and grinning, he brought her even closer towards him until barely any space was left between them.

"If you do, then my feet can handle it." He assured her jokingly. The music was so slow that it didn't leave them much room for improvisation, but he was content to just waltz with her at the moment. He loved the feel of her hand in his, the way her other hand rested on his shoulder lightly, comfortably. And where his hand held her waist, warm against the fabric…

"You really are looking beautiful tonight," he told her, "I mean it's completely different to how you normally look… not that that's not nice too." He added hastily, not wanting her to think that he didn't like the way she normally dressed.

"It's nice to have a change occasionally, I'm glad that Shalini talked me into getting this dress, she told me that…" and suddenly Naina stopped and blushed, realising that perhaps she shouldn't tell Raj exactly what it was that Shalini had said.

"That what?" Raj asked her curiously, but Naina just shook her head, not willing to tell him.

The dance ended and when some faster music was put on the cadets all made their way to the dance floor. Naina noticed Yudi's sister dragging Aalekh there and was surprised when he actually began to dance quite well. She looked across at Raj to find him smiling with approval.

Huda and his date were also dancing, and Ali, Yudi and Pooja were all dancing in a group with some other cadets. Naina supposed it was probably better that way, Ali wouldn't feel so awkward and Yudi wouldn't be left out of the fun. Still, she wondered whether Ali and Pooja would ever properly recognise what it was that they felt for each other.

Her eyes searched for Dr. Ritu and Major Nair, and she found that they had already left the dance floor and separated, Major Nair going to sit in a corner and Ritu having stopped a waiter, picking up some drinks and downing them quickly.

Brigadier Chandook and Shalini came over to join them, and Shalini complimented them on their dancing.

"I had no idea you could dance so well, Captain." Shalini remarked, "Or has your wife been teaching you?"

"Actually he was the one who taught me," Naina admitted, "Otherwise I've never really danced like that before."

"A soldier has to be able to dance well," Brigadier Chandook told her, "There's so many formal balls to attend that you get used to it, eventually you'll become accustomed to it as well Mrs Shekawat."

And for the first time Naina realised that perhaps from now on she would be accompanying Raj to all of his different postings, she would be attending formal balls with him, she would be experiencing all of these things with him by her side.

And the thought gave her a feeling of quiet happiness, as if she had finally found safety in life, sanctuary. Because even if they had to move around often due to his postings, in the short time that she had been here, there was something about living with Raj which seemed to her like…

Home.

Naina glanced up at him then with an expression of realisation on her face, but Raj was already talking to Brigadier Chandook about something else.

And when he turned to face Naina, he found her gazing at him with such a look, that he felt a sudden rush of blood to his heart, feeling it beating so fast that he could barely hear anything over it. Then Naina smiled, looking more relaxed and comfortable than he'd ever seen her before.

"Why don't we go and get some drinks?" he suggested, and without him even having to make a gesture, she placed her hand on his arm and they moved off in the direction of the bar.

/

Naina was sipping her drink slowly, knowing that she was not used to drinking alcohol. She noticed that Dr. Ritu had already polished off about six or seven, but didn't seem too affected. She was a bit worried about that but figured that having to attend a ball with a partner like Major Nair would drive anybody to drink.

It was then that the announcements about Mr and Miss Fresher were made. Miss Fresher was awarded to Huda's date Sonali, and he pulled up his collar as if he was the one who had won instead.

"Well whose date is she, after all?" he asked Yudi, who was standing nearby. "Miss Fresher had to be Huda's date, anybody else just wasn't possible."

"Yeah whatever dude," Yudi told him, rolling his eyes. "But you're not going to become Mr Fresher."

"Lagi Shart?" Huda asked him, "5000."

"You're on." Yudi replied confidently.

They shook hands on it and turned back to watch the announcement.

"And Mr Fresher goes to… Cadet Aalekh Sharma." Suriji called out.

Aalekh looked like he's never received such a huge shock before in his entire life, and was slow to reach Suriji, as if doubting it had really happened.

When he came back to the dance floor, Yudi gave him a huge hug, practically picking him up off the floor.

"You're the best, Chief!" he told him, "Because of you I not only defeated Huda today, I also won 5000!"

"Don't get so excited, bro." Neelu commented, approaching them, "He's my date, not yours. Chal Aalekh, let's go dance."

Aalekh followed her, nodding at Naina's thumbs up as he passed them by.

"Why don't we go and dance too?" Raj asked Naina, since the music was now something that he felt much more comfortable dancing to, not too fast and not too slow.

She nodded, and putting down her glass, followed him to the dance floor, noting with happiness that Ali and Pooja were finally dancing together properly although Ali looked a bit embarrassed, and that at least for the moment Yudi's date has come back and joined him on the dance floor.

This time their steps were funkier, more contemporary, Raj spun her out and then back into him, and Naina laughed, giddy with a combination of the sudden movement and the small amount of alcohol that she'd drunk. They enjoyed themselves, dancing faster and faster as Raj spun her around and around, every time bringing her back to the circle of his arms.

When the dance finally ended they found themselves being clapped, and Raj took a slight bow, gesturing to Naina to do the same. Shaking her head in amusement, she did so, and hand in hand they headed back to their table. He had just pulled out the chair for her, and was about to sit down himself when Ritu approached them.

"Naina, I hope you don't mind if I borrow your husband for one dance," Ritu asked her, once again in a fake sweet tone, "My date isn't interested in joining me and I would hate to end the evening without dancing at least one more time."

Raj was looking at Naina questioningly, wondering if she would mind, but Naina just nodded, "Sure go ahead Rituji, you can have him for one song. I'll be fine here." and she smiled at Raj reassuringly to let him know it would be alright.

Raj followed Ritu to the dance floor, beginning to dance with her even as he glanced back at Naina. He was doing fine until she began to get closer to him, and he awkwardly tried to keep his distance, feeling uncomfortable.

"You really should have told me that you were married from the beginning," Ritu told him, "You know I had such high hopes…"

Raj began to feel even more uncomfortable, "I'm sorry Dr. Mishra," he addressed her formally, "I never intended to give any hopes to anyone, and I hope that I never did so even accidentally."

"Oh but you did," Ritu told him, and he realised exactly how drunk she really was, "And I still don't know why you hid that you were married all this time, unless…"

She left the question in the air between them,. Raj wondered when this song was going to end, because he didn't like either the direction this conversation was going in, or the way that she kept trying to bring them even closer together. He glanced back at Naina worriedly, wondering what she might be thinking right now.

But Naina was watching them with a blank expression, not revealing anything.

"I didn't hide anything," Raj defended himself, "I just don't ever speak about my private life to anyone."

"But it's your private life that we're all so interested in," Ritu remarked, her voice slurring, "That was what I was interested in from the very beginning."

"Dr. Mishra, I think you've had too much to drink." Raj told her, his voice icily formal. "Maybe I should go and get Dr. Shalini for you."

"Oh no, I'm perfectly in my senses," Ritu replied, "And I think you know exactly what it is that I'm saying."

The song ended and Raj dropped her hand, feeling relieved. He made his way back over to Naina quickly, barely waiting for Ritu to follow him.

"Thank you very much for letting me borrow your husband," Ritu told Naina, and Naina couldn't help but pick up on the double meaning in her words.

"That's alright," she replied, her tone slightly dark, "I knew that he'd return to me at the end of the song." And then she turned to Raj, "Why don't we go and congratulate Aalekh properly." Naina suggested, guessing that he probably wanted to get away from Dr. Ritu as much as she did at that moment.

"Yes, let's go do that." He replied quickly, and they walked off as Ritu watched them, an annoyed expression on her face.

/

Later that night after the ball has ended and they'd returned to their room, Raj was still glancing at Naina worriedly as if wondering whether she'd misunderstood about him dancing with Dr. Mishra, but Naina prepared for bed as normal, first putting on her sleeping clothes and then sitting down, beginning to unpin her hair. Spotting a pin that she'd missed, Raj reached out and took it out from her hair tenderly before putting it into her hand.

"Naina, tonight…" he started to say.

"Was a wonderful night," she interrupted him, "I really enjoyed myself, and I'm so happy that Aalekh became Mr Fresher, I think it will really help to build his confidence here."

Raj knew that she didn't want to talk about what had happened with Dr. Mishra and decided to drop the subject.

"Good night," he told her, lying down with a sigh. Naina slipped under the covers, before turning off the light.

"Good night."

/

Perhaps it was the wine he had drunk or perhaps it was the feelings that he was having trouble keeping under control, but for once Raj lost control of his actions in his sleep.

When Naina woke up it was to find that he'd thrown his arm around her waist almost possessively, his head lying close to her left shoulder.

He was incredibly warm, and his hair where it touched her shoulder was soft and Naina took a deep breath before she slowly got out of bed, not actually wanting to move from where she was.

But she had made her decision last night, she knew what she had to do. She couldn't ignore it anymore, and she wouldn't lose him, no matter what.

Not bothering to get dressed properly she opened the door quietly and stepped out, wanting to do this before Raj woke up.

Heading towards Dr. Mishra's room she knocked on the door, waiting until it was finally opened by Ritu in her night gown, looking bleary eyed.

"Naina, what are you doing here?" she asked, her eyes narrowing.

"I thought we should have a talk," Naina announced, and walked inside the room without waiting for an invitation.

Ritu crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Naina to speak.

"I don't know why you're doing it, but I know what you're trying to do." Naina informed her, "And just because Raj is too polite to tell you to back off it doesn't mean that I am."

She took a step closer to Ritu and looked at her with a piercing gaze. "So now I'm telling you, and I hope I won't have to say it again." She stepped closer yet again, not shifting her gaze from Ritu's face. "Stay away from my husband."

Without waiting for an answer, Naina left the room as quickly as she had come.

Ritu stared after her, fuming about how this young girl could dare to talk to her in this way. Making a decision she pulled out her mobile phone and dials a familiar number.

"Find out everything you can about Captain Rajveer's wife," she informed the person on the other end of the line, "I want to know something that can break her."

And then she hung up.

Because nobody got the better of Ritu Mishra.

/

Naina returned to the room to find Raj already awake and rubbing his eyes tiredly, they had been up later last night due to the ball than they normally would've been.

"Where did you go?" he asked her curiously, noticing that she was still in her night wear.

"There was just something I had to do," Naina told him, refusing to elaborate.

Raj nodded, knowing that she would tell him if she wanted to. When he had woken up he had been sprawled across the bed, and he wondered whether he had done anything during the night, accidentally touched her, but Naina was smiling as she picked up her towel and headed for the bathroom.

"You look happy this morning," he remarked, glad to see her this way.

"I am." Naina told him, and gave him quite a long look before going into the bathroom and closing the door.

Raj stared at the door long after she had closed it.

He didn't know what had happened, but he liked this new more relaxed, comfortable Naina, who was not constantly shy around him.

It gave him hope that their relationship really would succeed.

Because right now that was the thing that he wanted most in the world.


	16. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen

Coming down the steps of her college, Naina smiled as she saw Raj waiting for her by his jeep. She lifted her hand to wave at him and he waved back but his face remained serious.

"What's wrong?" She asked when she reached him, able to tell by his expression that something was definitely not right.

"Nothing too serious," Raj promised her, placing a hand on her shoulder reassuringly, "I don't have any more classes for today, why don't we go somewhere?"

Naina nodded, smiling even more now. They hardly ever got a chance to go out anywhere together since they were both so busy, so it was nice when they could finally have a moment together alone.

He took her to one of the city's largest parks, and they strolled in the gardens for awhile before settling on a bench in front of a pond.

"Actually I've got some bad news," he admitted.

"What is it?" Naina asked worriedly, already turning possibilities over in her mind.

"Well in one way it's good and in the other it's bad." Raj clarified his earlier statement, "My Godfather and his daughter Sherry are coming to visit for Diwali."

"Oh," Naina said, trying to work out why this was bad news, and then she understood. "So we'll have to cancel our trip to see my mother? Well… it's okay, she'll understand, we'll go and see her next holiday." She tried to hide how disappointed she was, knowing that he hadn't seen his godfather or the girl he thought of as a little sister for quite some time now.

"Actually Naina, I think you should still go and visit your mother for Diwali." Raj told her, "I know how much you've missed her and it's going to be difficult for her if she has to spend the holiday season alone. I just feel bad that I won't be able to go with you."

"But," Naina started to say, but Raj interrupted her before she could continue.

"You'll definitely meet them both another time," he promised her, "And I'm sure they'll understand, especially as he only told me today and there's just a week left for Diwali. I just wish you didn't have to go all that way alone…"

"I did come all this way alone from there," Naina remarked, a small smile on her face, "And I was fine then."

"I know… but still."

Naina couldn't help but feel a sense of affection for the way that he was reluctant to send her anywhere alone, as if he was worried that something would happen to her.

"Don't worry about anything," Naina told him, "Just enjoy your time with your godfather and sister."

Raj nodded, still with an expression on his face that clearly said he would prefer it to have worked out differently.

"Well if it's been decided now, then why don't we go and have some cake." He told her, gesturing to the café nearby, and Naina walked beside him. When Raj placed his arm around her shoulders, she didn't feel awkward or embarrassed, because finally, the gesture just seemed so… right.

/

At her English lesson with Aalekh that night, she noticed that he seemed a bit quieter than normal, and she would say… almost sad.

"Is something wrong, Aalekh?" she asked him, and when he saw the genuine concern in her eyes, he felt that maybe… it would be alright if he told her.

"No…" he began to say, and then changed his mind, "It's just that around Diwali time I remember my Ma…."

"You loved her a lot, didn't you?" Naina asked him gently.

"We never had much money, but no matter what, every Diwali she would buy me some new clothes… and small crackers… she would never get anything for herself, never… and I always wanted, that one day, I could be the one to buy her a Diwali present."

But he had never gotten the opportunity.

He didn't feel the need to add this, he knew that Naina would understand.

"What will you do for this Diwali?" Naina asked him, "Do you have anywhere to go?"

"I'll be right here at KMA…" Aalekh said dully, and then seeing the look on Naina's face, tried to make it sound better. "Suriji told me we could make some good food on that day." He told her, "Suriji is a great guy… never judges me…"

Naina nodded, but she was unable to stop thinking that everybody should have a home to go to… everybody should have a family that they could spend the holidays with.

She was still thinking about it an hour later when she walked back into hers and Raj's room, and putting her books down, she asked him before she could lose her courage.

"What if I took Aalekh home with me for Diwali?" she asked, and as he looked at her thoughtfully, she took a breath, expecting to have to justify her suggestion. But before she could say anything, Raj beat her to it.

"I'll go and buy him a ticket tomorrow," he told her, "I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Really? Then you wouldn't mind?" Naina asked him, amazed that she didn't even have to explain.

"Of course not," Raj told her, "I think it's one of the most thoughtful things I've ever heard, and this way I don't have to worry about you traveling alone either."

And Naina just gazed at him, because he was the most understanding person she'd ever met, and she couldn't help but think exactly how lucky she was to have him.

And the look in her eyes almost made Raj feel like blushing, because he'd never seen her look at him in quite that way before, and it was lucky that she looked away again, otherwise he had no idea what he might have done next.

/

Later that night before lights out, Raj searched for Aalekh, finding him in the games room with the rest of his friends.

"Could I speak to you for a minute, Cadet Aalekh?" Raj asked him, and Aalekh followed him outside the room.

"What is it, Sir?" he asked Raj.

"You don't have any plans for Diwali, do you?"

"What plans could I have… I'll be right here."

"Actually I wanted to know if you could do me a favour," Raj began, "You see Naina is going home to visit her mother and I can't go with her because my godfather and sister are coming to visit me… so I wanted to know if you would be willing to go with her?"

Aalekh stared at him with such a look of surprise on his face that Raj's heart went out to the young man. It was obvious that Aalekh had experienced kindness far too seldom in life.

"Sir," Aalekh finally replied, "I don't think it's me doing you a favour in this situation."

"Even if we are doing you a favour there's nothing wrong with that," Raj told him calmly, "Sometimes it doesn't hurt to accept kindnesses. Besides, my mind really would be more at ease if you travelled with her, it's quite a long way."

"And Naina?" Aalekh asked him, "Won't I be getting in the way between her and her Ma?"

"Not at all," Raj told him, "In fact I think Mrs Ah… Naina's mother would be quite happy to have another guest for Diwali."

"Then thank you, Sir…" Aalekh told him so sincerely, that Raj couldn't help but feel emotional on the young cadet's behalf, "It would be nice to go home with Naina for Diwali."

/

As soon as the gang of cadets had found out that Aalekh was going home with Naina, they had waited until he was gone and then looked at each other awkwardly. "You stupid insensitive missed calls," Pooja scolded them, "Didn't any of you think of asking him to go home with you for Diwali? Didn't you realise he'd be here by himself?"

"Well why didn't you ask him, Punajaben?" Huda asked her defensively, "You could've asked him home too."

"Uh, hello, you cross connection, I'm a girl, I can't take Aalekh home with me." Pooja told him, rolling her eyes.

"Well why is Naina taking him home with her then?" Yudi asked.

"Yudi, Naina is married." Pooja told him as if he was an idiot, "Obviously her Ma isn't going to assume something about her and Aalekh like my parents would'be if I took him home."

"Pooja is right," Ali said thoughtfully, "We really should've thought about Aalekhbhai, we were forgetting him in our own happiness."

"Well he's going with Naina now," Yudi said, shrugging, "I'll invite him to my place next time."

But they all felt so bad about it that for the next few days everyone was extremely nice to Aalekh. Well, Huda soon forgot that he was meant to be being nice, and went back to his normal ways.

The days passed quickly as everyone became more and more excited to be getting a holiday and visiting their families.

Even Ali, who was even more quiet than usual since he was tired from fasting, couldn't help talking about his family to anybody who would listen. Luckily since Eid was coinciding with Diwali this year he would be able to be with his family for the festival.

Pooja was the only one who seemed worried, as it would the first time she'd been home since joining the academy and she was concerned about how her family would behave with her over the issue of Rohit.

Naina could see an obvious change in her since the time they had met, she now mentioned Rohit less often and was more reluctant to say that he was the reason she had joined the academy. She'd stopped talking about not having a lifetime plan there and had started paying more attention to her training and studies.

And she continued to spend quite a bit of time with Ali.

In fact Naina has noticed that Pooja would delay taking her evening meals until the time of iftaar, then take them with Ali after he'd done his namaz. The others did this sometimes too, but occasionally wouldn't wait when they were really hungry. Pooja, no matter how hungry she was, always waited.

But Naina didn't say anything, she wouldn't pass any comment. If Pooja wanted any advice, then Naina knew that she would come to her.

Naina couldn't wait to see her mother again, she'd missed her, and more than that, she had been worried about how she would be coping on her own. But there was also a strange feeling when she thought about going home for those three days, because it would be the first time that she would have been without Raj since she came to KMA.

She realised that she'd gotten used to him being there for her, whenever she wanted to talk to him, whenever she needed any reassurance. They talked more and more these days, about the past, about Navin, about Raj's childhood and Naina's life before her brother's death.

They talked and yet much still remained unsaid.

Naina wondered when she would ever find the courage to say what she really wished to, to tell him all the things that she kept within her heart, all the hurt that she'd experienced over the years, all the disappointments. She wondered whether she would find the courage to tell him how she'd begun to feel now, as if finally she had found some safety in life, some certainty. That perhaps she had found more than that as well...

/

The day finally came when Naina and Aalekh were scheduled to leave along with the rest of the cadets who were going home to their families. Raj had been restless all day, unsure of how he should say farewell to her, how these few days would pass without her there. When he woke up in the morning, the first thing he saw was her face, carefree in sleep on the pillow beside his. And if he'd rolled over in the night, placing his arm over her, he would remove it gently, careful not to wake her, and then watch her as the dawn light filtered in, only getting up to leave for his jog when the feeling of contentment had fully set in.

And he would miss seeing her at the end of the day, hearing about her classes and telling her about the cadets and their latest pranks, who had gotten in trouble with Major Nair and who had needed to hold their ears in front of Suriji.

He would miss her smiling at him in a way that she tended to do more and more often these days, with such a strange mixture of affection and trust that every time he hoped she would smile at him just that way again soon.

Finally, Raj reminded himself that after all, it would only be for three days, after which she would be back with him at the academy and everything would resume as normal.

But still, he had no idea how he was meant to cope by himself in those three days.

He drove them to the bus station after class finished. As soon as they reached the station, with only fifteen minutes to spare, Aalekh said goodbye to Raj and wished him a happy Diwali before wandering towards the bus, obviously wanting to give them some privacy.

Raj realised that he had never decided what the best way to say goodbye to her would be and he stood there awkwardly, wanting to hug her but not knowing how she would feel about it.

Looking at him, Naina guessed exactly what he was thinking, because in the time they'd been together, he had always looked to her to set the tone of their relationship.

"I wish you were coming with us," she told Raj, "Ma really does miss you too, you know. She was looking forward to seeing you after such a long time."

"I know," Raj said a bit sadly, "I had looked forward to seeing her too, but we'll definitely go together next holiday. Wish her a happy Diwali from me."

"Then… I hope you have a good Diwali, and that you have a good time with your sister and your godfather."

Raj nodded, a lump appearing in his throat. He told himself that he was being silly, after all it was three days, not a lifetime. Before this they were separated for two years.

But that was different, because they didn't know each other then.

Naina stepped forward and put her arms around him loosely, hugging him softly, and Raj hugged her back, grateful that she had made the move so that he didn't have to work out whether he should or not.

It was the first time he had ever hugged her properly, and he couldn't help pressing her closer, one hand on the lower half of her back and one on the upper half.

The announcement came that her bus was about to leave, and unable to help himself, Raj kissed her goodbye on the cheek. It was the briefest of contacts, but still his lips almost hummed afterwards and Naina gazed at him with a look that he'd never seen before.

Before he could work it out, she was already on the bus and as she sat down next to the window, she pressed her hand against it to bid him goodbye and Raj raised his own in return until the bus was out of sight.

On the bus, Naina sighed and leaned back, smiling at Aalekh as if to say 'we're on our way', before closing her eyes briefly.

She could still feel his lips on her skin.

Naina wondered whether it would be possible for the feeling to remain until she returned.

She certainly hoped so.


	17. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen

Their bus arrived the next morning and Naina and Aalekh both stepped off, carrying their bags. Aalekh stretched as Naina smothered a yawn, neither of them having slept well on the trip.

"Well let's get a taxi and go home," Naina said, "I told Ma not to come to the station to pick us up so she'll be waiting for us there."

He nodded, and they quickly found a taxi to take them, Naina giving directions to the man until they pulled up at the house.

It was a simple and small house, but obviously well cared for, flowers in the garden and the grass cut short. It was the type of house that Aalekh had dreamed of as a child, the type of house that he would've liked to be able to give his Ma one day.

"You grew up here?" he asked Naina, but Naina shook her head.

"No, we moved here two years ago." She told him, "We uh… felt like a change."

A new start, a new place where nobody would know them, where nobody would pass any judgments or comments.

They walked to the house and rung the doorbell and as Naina's mother opened the door, Naina threw her arms around her, suddenly overcome by emotions.

"I've missed you so much, Ma." She told her, hugging her tightly, and Naina's mother patted her back.

When Naina stepped back, Aalekh stepped forward and touched Naina's mother's feet.

"Ma, this is Aalekh," Naina informed her.

"Thanks for having me, Aunty." Aalekh said, quiet as usual. But he sounded so polite and sincere that Naina couldn't help looking at him thoughtfully, this Aalekh was quite different from the one she knew from the academy, who kept his barriers around him, daring anybody to try to break them down.

"I was so happy when Naina told me you were coming with her, Beta." Naina's mother told him kindly, "Of course I wish that Raj could be here with us… but it will be nice to celebrate Diwali with you." And she touched his head kindly, laying her hand on his hair affectionately.

A strange look passed across Aalekh's face, a look that sometimes passed across it when he talked about his Ma, and for a moment Naina thought she saw tears in his eyes, but he blinked and once again his face was calm.

"Let's go in," her mother told them, "You two can freshen up while I make you some breakfast."

"You go and freshen up first, Aalekh," Naina told him, "I'll just…" and she made a gesture in the direction of the lounge room.

Mrs Ahluwalia smiled with a knowing look on her face. "He's already called twice this morning to find out if you arrived yet." She informed Naina, who blushed slightly, because after all, it was her mother who was telling her this.

"Then I'll go and call now." She said quietly and headed to the phone.

He picked up the phone quickly as soon as it had rung once and Naina's heart beat just a bit faster at the thought that he'd been waiting for her call, waiting to know that she'd arrived safely.

"We just arrived," she told him softly, and could almost hear him breathe a sigh of relief on the other end of the line.

"Your mother probably told you that I called already," he said, sounding like he was smiling from the tone of his voice, "I know I shouldn't have been so worried."

"The trip wasn't too bad," Naina told him, "We didn't get much sleep, but we'll be having a quiet day at home."

"I wish I was there with you," Raj said, and his tone was so regretful that Naina felt a need to reassure him.

"It's okay…" she said, "We'll miss you, but then next Diwali we'll all definitely spend it together."

"Definitely," Raj agreed, "Next Diwali nothing will stop us from spending the holiday together."

"I'll make sure that you keep that promise," Naina told him, and then was surprised by how much it sounded as if she was flirting with him over the phone. She decided that she should probably change the topic, "What time are your godfather and sister arriving?" she asked him.

"In a couple of hours," Raj told her, "Until then I've got most of the staff for company. The only ones who have gone home are Lolita and Major Nair."

"Well make sure that you wish Shalini and Suriji a Happy Diwali from me," Naina told him, not mentioning Ritu and not caring whether he noticed or not.

"I'll do that," Raj replied, "You enjoy your Diwali and give my love to your mother, I'll call again tomorrow and talk to her then too."

"I'll look forward to it," Naina told him a little shyly. She wanted to tell him that she missed him, but it hadn't even been a day, and it would be ridiculous to tell him at this stage. "Make sure you don't forget." She told him instead.

"I could never forget." Raj said in such a serious tone that she felt her insides turn over, and her fingers tightened on the phone.

"Then I'll talk to you tomorrow." She managed to say.

"Until then, make sure you have a good time." He told her, and they both hung up the phone.

"So they've arrived safely?" Shalini asked him, as she walked into the mess with Ritu.

Raj put his phone back into his pocket and motioned for them to join him.

"Yes, they reached there a few minutes ago," he informed them, "I'll call again tomorrow to see how everything is going."

"It was so sweet of Naina to take Aalekh home with her for Diwali," Shalini told Raj, a smile on her face. "I would have hated for him to be stuck here celebrating his Diwali with us."

"I must say," Ritu cut in smoothly, "That it was very understanding of you to allow Naina to go home with another guy, most husbands would have been quite insecure about it, so hats off to you."

Raj wasn't sure that he liked what she seemed to be suggesting, but he remained calm. "When I trust my wife, what do I need to be insecure about?" he asked her, "To have those sorts of doubts would be stupid."

"Well if only we all had husbands like you, right Shalini?" Ritu looked to her for agreement, annoyed at having failed in her attempt to make him show some jealousy.

But Shalini has turned a little pale and when she replied it was very quiet, "Yes, if only we did."

Because she couldn't even remember when the last time was that her husband even tried to understand her, much less succeeded.

/

At Naina's house, her mother kept piling food onto both Naina's and Aalekh's plates, ignoring their protests that they'd had enough. She kept their cups filled too, and Aalekh was amazed by the fact that he didn't feel any desire to add alcohol to his.

He wondered whether if his mother had survived, he never would've had that desire in the first place.

"How do you usually celebrate Diwali?" he asked them, and was surprised when they both froze, glancing at each other as if he'd asked them a question for which the answer was quite tricky. "I mean… I haven't celebrated Diwali properly since Ma…"

"Usually we don't have a big celebration," Naina's mother replied, "It's just Naina and me, so we wear some new clothes, light some sparklers and cook some special food. Of course we used to…" and she trailed off unable to say anything else.

And Aalekh knew that there was something wrong.

He'd known it since the first time he ever met Naina, the first time he noticed the sadness in her eyes, a sign of grief that had long been hidden deep in the heart.

It was obvious that they were both trying to hide something, but Aalekh had no idea what it might be.

All he knew was that whatever had happened in the past, it had affected both of them so profoundly that neither of them has yet properly recovered.

And he knew all too well what that was like.

/

Gehlot and Sherry arrived at 11am, and Raj greeted them outside the academy, touching his godfather's feet, giving Sherry a quick hug and then escorting them inside to his room as some orderlies took their things to the guest quarters.

It had been awhile since he'd seen either of them, almost a year at least. Gehlot Saheb looked more or less the same but Raj was shocked by Sherry's appearance although he tried to hide it. She'd lost quite a bit of weight, as if she hadn't been bothering to eat properly, there were red streaks through her hair, and the way that she held herself was different somehow.

The first thing she asked when they reached his room was, "So Bhaiyya… where's your wife?"

"Actually she's gone to her mother's house for Diwali," Raj told them both, "I had also planned to go with her until I heard you were both coming."

"Oh… how convenient." Sherry commented, a hard tone in her voice.

"Sherry…" Gehlot warned her, and she gazed at him with such hatred in her eyes that Raj was well and truly shocked.

"No, it's alright." He told the man, "Actually I'm quite disappointed that you won't get to meet Naina, I'm sure you both would've liked her."

"That's if she exists at all." Sherry commented, "Because so far I've seen absolutely no evidence that she does."

"Sherry, that's enough." Gehlot told her in a tone that would not accept any dissent, "We've come to spend a nice Diwali with Raj, now don't ruin it with that attitude of yours."

"Oh yeah, we've come to spend a nice Diwali with dear Bhaiyya," Sherry replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes at him. "Like that's the real reason that we're here."

Raj looked to Gehlot for clarification, not really understanding what it was that Sherry was hinting at.

"We'll discuss that later." The older man waved his hand to dismiss it, "For now why don't we catch up, it's been so long since we saw each other. Why don't you tell me about your wife?"

"Well Naina is currently completing her medical training," Raj told them, "She's studying in a college here in town now and doing very well, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if she comes first this year."

Gehlot nodded approvingly, but Sherry scoffed.

"And none of that tells us why it is that you married her secretly without telling us?" she asked Raj hostilely, "I mean what happened, did you get her pregnant or something?"

As shocked as Raj was at Sherry's comment, he was even more shocked when Gehlot stood up, looming over her, "Sherry, I said that that is ENOUGH!" He shook his head angrily, "And that is exactly the reason why I made this decision in the first place."

"What decision?" Raj asked, having no idea what it was that they were talking about, but knowing by the tone of Gehlot's voice that it was something serious.

"Sherry is going to be joining KMA." His godfather announced, "Her admission has already been arranged and she'll be staying back here after Diwali."

"But why?" Raj asked, "I mean, is KMA really the right place for Sherry?"

"Oh I can see that you're quite excited to finally get the opportunity to spend some quality time with me Bhaiyya," she remarked sarcastically, "But why am I surprised really? After all, when has anybody really cared about what it is that I want or what it is that I do?"

And standing up, she left the room angrily, banging the door behind her on the way out.

"And that," Gehlot announced, "Is exactly the reason why KMA is the best place for Sherry."

/

The next day Raj made the call to Naina, longing to hear her voice. Their room seemed empty without her, he felt strange to be sleeping on the bed alone, stretching out and then waking up to realise that he had once again moved to her side of the bed in his sleep and yet she was not there.

And most of all he missed talking to her, because right now he really needed to speak to her about what had happened, to ask her what she thought he should do.

"How was your day yesterday?" he asked her, after they'd said hello.

"It was nice," Naina told him, "We showed Aalekh around town, and then spent the rest of the day decorating the house properly since Ma waited for me to arrive to do it. I think that Aalekh enjoyed himself too, he helped out quite a bit."

Raj smiled, imagining the quiet young man helping to decorate the house for Diwali. He was glad that Aalekh had gone home with Naina, if only so that he could finally experience a family Diwali after so many years.

"And how is your Diwali so far?" Naina asked him, "You must be enjoying seeing them after such a long time, I just wish I could have been there to meet them."

"Well you will get to meet Sherry." Raj told her, "She'll still be here when you get back. She's going to be joining the academy."

"But she's already missed so much time," Naina exclaimed, "How did she finally decide to join now?"

"She didn't, her father has decided that she'll join." Raj said, and sighed, "Last time I saw Sherry I thought she was just going through a difficult phase, but she's so hostile… so angry… I have no idea how I should handle her. I just wish… that you were here with me."

The confession meant more to Naina than he could ever guess, that he now relied on her enough that he wanted her there with him during difficult times, that he needed her support and advice.

"I can come back early if you want?" she suggested, "I mean, we could leave early tomorrow rather than in the afternoon?"

"No, definitely don't cut your time with your mother short," Raj told her, "I'll be okay, I'm just… missing you."

And Naina's breath caught in her throat, and her face suddenly became warm.

"I miss you too." She admitted, and was surprised by how easy it was to say it.

"Well we'll just have to survive without each other for two more days," Raj told her, trying to joke but still sounding far too serious. "But don't worry about me here, I'll work something out."

"Then should I give the phone to Ma?" Naina asked him, "She's been waiting to talk to you."

"Please do," Raj told her, "And then I'll talk to you tomorrow again."

"Good luck with your sister," Naina wished him sincerely.

"Thanks," Raj replied, "I think I'm going to need it."

He had a chat with Naina's mother, apologising for not being able to join them and when he got off the phone he found Sherry standing at a short distance, staring at him with a strange look on her face.

"So you do have a wife," she commented, "I was honestly wondering whether you had made her up."

"No, I definitely do have a wife." Raj confirmed, "And you'll meet her the day after tomorrow when she's back in the academy."

"So you don't get to spend Diwali with her because we came," Sherry said, "Sorry about being such a big inconvenience." But she didn't sound sorry, instead she sounded like she was challenging Raj to tell her she was wrong, to tell her that he was not disappointed he had to spend Diwali with them.

"Sherry, I am disappointed that I'm not spending Diwali with Naina," Raj admitted, "But I'm also happy that I finally get to spend some time with you. And you know, I'm looking forward to having you here with me at the academy, it will be like old times again when we lived together."

"Nothing will ever be like old times again," Sherry told him darkly, "Time moves on Bhaiyya, and I've moved on with it. I don't expect anything from you, and I certainly don't expect you to look after me." And as abruptly as she had come, she left again.

Raj stared after her, unable to believe how much she had changed in the time they'd been apart. He couldn't wait until Naina came back because he was going to need all the support he could get to deal with her, to try to work out what was wrong and then to try to fix it.

/

Aalekh walked in to the kitchen to find Naina and her mother chatting happily as they prepared lunch for the day.

"Aunty, can I help you?" he asked, and Naina smiled, happy by how different he was when he was here at home with them. She suspected that this was the real Aalekh, the one that he'd hidden under all the layers of hurt and anger.

"No that's alright, Aalekh Beta." Naina's mother told him, "We've got it all under control, you just sit back and watch."

"Really Aunty, I'm not too bad." Aalekh told her, "At the orphanage and the remand home… I used to help out with the cooking."

And Naina's mother suddenly smiled at an old memory.

"Do you remember when Navin would try to help us out with the cooking?" she asked Naina, "And then he would end up getting more of the ingredients on himself than in the bowl? Looking back now, I suspect he did it just to make us laugh."

Naina smiled at the memory too, and then suddenly turned around to look at Aalekh as if realising that something had revealed that shouldn't have been.

And Aalekh just looked back at her calmly, but he didn't ask the question, didn't even react.

But Naina's mother had turned pale, realising that she shouldn't have said it, that she'd revealed their secret. The look on her face was one of pure panic, and Naina quickly moved to lay a hand on her mother's arm to try and calm her down. "It's okay, Ma." She told her quietly.

"Navin…" her mother whispered, and the look of such heartbreak on her face was enough to make Aalekh's own heart ache, something that hardly ever happened anymore.

So he finally spoke.

"Navin was your brother wasn't he?" he asked Naina. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

"No," Naina whispered, and then looked to her mother as if for permission, "Perhaps it's time… perhaps… it wouldn't hurt for you to know."

And leaving for the lounge room, she came back carrying a picture frame that had been put into a drawer while Aalekh was here to visit, trying to hide the truth from him.

She puts the photo into his hands and he looked down at it, at a happy family smiling at the camera; Naina, her mother, and two people who were obviously her father and brother. And the face of her brother… was strangely familiar to Aalekh. He struggled to place it and when he finally did, looked up at Naina in surprise.

"Yes, Captain Navin Singh Ahluwalia was my brother," Naina told him. "Captain Navin Singh Ahluwalia who was accused of being a traitor."

And as they all sat around the table, the lunch preparations forgotten, she poured it all out, everything that had happened.

By the end of it, quiet tears were dripping down Naina's cheeks and her mother was weeping with her head in her hands.

The look on Naina's face was hesitant, as if she was wondering whether Aalekh would now reject her like so many others had done before.

But she needn't have worried because all Aalekh was thinking was that now everything made perfect sense. Why Rajveer Sir hadn't told anybody about his marriage, why Naina had only joined him when she had to, why she was so quiet, the pain in her eyes, her reluctance to talk about her life.

Aalekh understood because he had had to deal with the stain upon his own name, the stain of being illegitimate, of being a bastard, a criminal, a drunkard.

He knew why Naina would've wanted to hide her own identity, because he understood what it was like to be judged for something that you were never responsible for.

"Naina," he stood up, reaching out to touch the top of her head gently, "From today, your secret is safe with me."

The look of gratitude that she gave him was almost enough to start him crying, but it had been a long time since he had shed any tears.

Then Aalekh crossed to where Naina's mother sat, her head still in her hands, and crouching down, he placed his hands on her knees. She looked up then, her eyes red, as Aalekh looked intently into her face before speaking.

"I was wondering Aunty, could I call you Ma instead?"

She stared at him for a moment with such astonishment on her face that he almost wished he hadn't said it, then she reached out, cupped his face in her hands and placed a kiss on his forehead.

"Of course you can, Beta." She told him.

And finally, after too many years to count, so many that he didn't even remember how long it had been, Aalekh allowed himself to cry his heart out.


	18. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen

When their bus arrived back in Ambala, Raj was already waiting for them, and as soon as Naina had crossed over to where he waited, he enveloped her in a hug. Aalekh wandered off a short distance to give them some privacy, and slightly surprised at the strength of his reaction, Naina hugged Raj back.

"Has it really been that bad?" she asked him sympathetically when he finally let go of her.

"It's been even worse than that," Raj told her, "I don't think I'm ever letting you go away by yourself ever again."

Naina felt herself grow warm at this comment, at his possessiveness of her, his need of her.

"But what's been going on?" she asked him, "It wasn't a good Diwali?"

"Well Lala Saheb and Sherry didn't stop fighting practically the whole time they were here, and when they weren't fighting they weren't talking to each other." Raj informed her, "And most of the time Sherry wasn't talking to me either."

Aalekh wandered back over, having decided that he'd given them enough time alone together.

"Did you have a good Diwali, Aalekh?" Raj asked him, "Thank you for looking after Naina. I really did feel better about sending her all that way."

"It was my best Diwali ever." Aalekh replied, "And no problems."

Because looking after Naina was definitely not a problem for him. Before leaving, while Naina had gone to get her bag, he had made a promise to her mother. A promise that he would protect Naina, and from now on he considered it his responsibility to do so.

/

When they arrived back to the academy, Aalekh said goodbye to them and went to put his bag in his room and find his friends.

Raj carried Naina's bag as they walked to their room, he noticed that she looked tired, in fact almost exhausted. Worried about her, he put his arm around her shoulders comfortingly and she smiled up at him, but there was worry in her smile, and a question.

It was after they'd gone into their room and closed the door, putting her bag down and sitting on the bed, that Naina started to speak.

"Aalekh knows everything," she informed Raj hesitantly, "I told him the truth… all of it. Ma accidentally mentioned Navin and at the time…"

She looked so worried about what he would think that Raj reached out and took one of her hands, squeezing it.

"You don't have to explain yourself, Naina." He told her, "I know you would've made the decision carefully before telling Aalekh and I believe that he's trustworthy. He'll never tell anybody's secrets."

Naina nodded, relieved. She had been so worried that Raj might disapprove of her telling Aalekh, after all, if the truth was discovered then it would affect him as well.

"Why don't you go take a shower and I'll make us something hot to drink," Raj suggested, "Then we can sit down and you can tell me about it properly."

Raj was just preparing to make some coffee when the door opened and Sherry wandered into the room, not having bothered to knock.

"So where is she?" Sherry asked, looking around the living room. "I heard that you went to pick her up."

"She has a name you know," Raj told Sherry gently, a little bit amused. Because for the first time since she arrived, Sherry was showing some emotion other than hostility. She seemed curious, wanting to meet Naina at last.

"Fine, where's your wife, Naina?" Sherry asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "If I don't meet her this time then I'm really not going to believe that she exists."

"You can definitely meet her this time," Raj promised gently, "You'll just have to wait until she's finished freshening up. Why don't you take a seat and I'll make you some coffee."

Almost hesitantly, Sherry sat down, as if reluctant to appear as if she was too interested or commit herself to too much.

Raj was glad when Naina came out of the bedroom dressed in a simple salwar kurta and towelling her hair dry, because honestly, before that he wasn't sure how he should be handling Sherry.

The two of them noticed each other and Naina smiled at Sherry, friendly but slightly hesitant. "Hi, you must be Sherry." Naina said, "It's good to finally meet you."

"Hi," Sherry told her, almost smiling back but not quite and then she looked Naina up and down before turning back to Raj.

"So what's wrong with her?" Sherry asked him.

"Excuse me?" Raj sputtered, not quite sure what it was that Sherry was trying to ask.

"Well considering you hid your marriage for two years, I assumed there must be something wrong with your wife… but she looks perfectly fine to me." Sherry answered with a shrug.

Raj glanced at Naina, hoping that she wasn't offended, but she seemed as if she was amused instead, a slight smile on her face.

"Well perhaps it's not obvious from the outside," she told Sherry, sounding perfectly serious and saving Raj from answering, "Maybe I'm actually crazy."

Sherry looked at Naina in surprise, unable to believe that she hasn't offended her.

But Naina had already turned to Raj. "Is the coffee ready?" she asked him, and crossed to the kitchen to take one of the mugs while he picked up the other two.

Naina handed the mug that she was holding to Sherry and the girl took it hesitantly, almost suspiciously.

Naina determinedly pretended not to notice, taking a cup off Raj and sitting down to sip it. In the few minutes since she had met Sherry, she thought she understood perfectly well what was going on.

Whatever hostility Sherry was showing was a defence to keep people away from her, to ensure that they disliked her. The only thing that Naina didn't understand yet was the real reason behind it.

"You'll have a lot to catch up on," Raj told Sherry as he sipped his coffee, "But if you need any help then Naina and I are here, and I'm sure the other cadets would be happy to lend a hand too."

"I don't need any help," Sherry told him, "I can succeed or fail perfectly fine on my own."

Raj didn't comment on this, he wanted to, but the look that Naina gave him convinced him to keep quiet.

"So you're studying medicine?" Sherry asked Naina suddenly, and Naina tried to hide her surprise, happy that the girl was actually making an effort. "That must be hard."

"It is," Naina replied, "I spend most of my time studying, trying to keep up with it."

"So when you're going to be a doctor, couldn't you find yourself a better husband than someone in the army?" Sherry asked her. But while there was a slight tone of hostility in her voice, Raj could sense curiosity there too. She was still trying to figure out how they had gotten married.

"No," Naina replied simply, her eyes fixed upon Raj, "I don't think that I could've found a better husband."

And it was the tone of her voice which melted Raj's heart all over again.

"Well I'm going to bed," Sherry announced, "I heard you have to get up at 5am in this damn academy, so we've all got to sleep at ridiculous times too."

"I'll see you tomorrow then," Raj told her gently, "We've got communications and strategy class in the morning."

"Great," Sherry said sarcastically, "I can't wait… just how I always imagined spending my time."

And without bothering to say goodnight, she left the room.

"I think that went well…" Raj commented, "Trust me, she likes you."

"I think she just needs some time to settle in." Naina reassured him, "Let her adjust at her own pace, eventually she'll be ready to open up to you."

"I certainly hope so… I worry about her, you know." Raj told Naina, "I mean I know she's not a child, she's the same age as you, but still…"

"She's your sister." Naina finished for him, understanding perfectly, "It's natural for you to worry."

She tried to stay awake, wanting to tell him about the holiday, but her eyes kept closing against her will.

"Why don't we go to bed now?" Raj suggested, "It's been an exhausting three days."

Naina nodded, and after washing the cups, they headed to the bedroom.

She was asleep almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, and Raj considered her for a moment, the way her face relaxed when she was like this, the way her fists curled slightly in her sleep.

For the first time, consciously, he reached out and put his arm around her, drawing her closer.

Because he'd missed her terribly for the past three days, and because right now, he did need the comfort that she could offer him, even while sleeping.

Somehow, Raj knew that Naina wouldn't mind.

/

The next morning when Sherry entered the mess, already dressed in her uniform with her hair neatly tied back, everybody turned to look at her.

After all, she was new.

"Wow, who's this?" Huda remarked, "We needed some more good looking girls around here, I think I should go and welcome her to KMA."

"I don't know if I would do that if I were you, Hudabhai," Ali told him warningly, "Do you remember what happened the last time you tried to welcome a girl to KMA?"

Huda suddenly looked worried, "Arre, this one isn't Major Nair's wife is she?" he asked, and Pooja started laughing.

"Oy blank caller," she told him, "She's Captain Rajveer's sister Sherry, she's joining our batch."

"That's almost as bad…" Huda remarked with a frown, "And how do you know?"

"I heard it in the girls' hostel this morning, she's Sonali's new room mate," Pooja told him. "So don't even think about it."

"But we should definitely be polite…"

"Huda, don't do it."

And as Sherry walked past with a tray of food in her hands he suddenly lazily put a leg out, blocking her way.

"Hey girl… why don't you have your breakfast with us?" he asked her.

Sherry looked him up and down before looking at his leg stuck out in front of her.

"Because I don't eat breakfast with arrogant idiots who think too much of themselves." She told him, and then she kicked his leg away and went to sit at a table by herself on the other side of the room.

Huda stared at her in shock while Ali, Yudi and Pooja all burst out laughing and Aalekh smirked.

"Just accept it Hudabhai, not every girl in the world finds you as attractive as you think you are." Ali told him, and Yudi high fived Ali as they continued laughing.

Having come into the mess in time to witness the exchange, Naina grabbed some food and went to sit with Sherry at her table.

"Don't mind Huda," Naina told her, "He's just like that. In fact he even tried to flirt with me on the day I arrived."

Sherry looked amused, "He even tried to flirt with his teacher's wife? Now that really is shameless."

"Well I don't think he realised I was married when he did it," Naina explained, "But still, don't allow yourself to be bothered by it, they're a good group of cadets."

"I'm not interested in making friends." Sherry replied, even as she glanced towards the table where everybody except Huda was now laughing.

"That's okay," Naina replied, "But even if you don't become friends, you will all be training together."

"Then I'll meet them properly then." Sherry said, sounding uninterested.

Naina stayed silent, not wanting to push the girl too much at one point.

Watching from a distance, Aalekh caught Naina's slight nod in his direction.

/

Entering the classroom for Captain Rajveer's class, Sherry chose a seat close to the wall and towards the back. It wasn't too long before she found the seat next to her occupied and she turned to see who it was.

"Hi," the occupant greeted her, "Apun Aalekh hain."

For a moment she instinctively wanted to tell him to go away, but hearing his way of speaking, she was curious about him.

"I know you already know who I am," she told him, "What are you doing in this place?"

"The remand home sent me. To make me a better person." Aalekh replied simply, shrugging.

"Even I've been sent here to become a better person." Sherry remarked sarcastically, "Has it worked in your case?"

Aalekh looks at her very seriously before replying, as if he was seeing past all her defences. "I don't know," he replied, "But I've found people who realised that I was never that bad to begin with."

Uncomfortable with what he was saying, Sherry turned away only to find another face looming in front of her.

"So you've met our Qaidi," he remarked, a smirk on his face, "Meet me too, Amardeep Huda."

"I met you before," Sherry told him, "That was more than enough for me."

"Well since everybody else is making their introductory calls, I might as well make mine too!" Pooja announced cheerfully, "I'm Pooja Ghai."

Sherry nodded at her in greeting.

"And this is Ali, Ali Baig!" Pooja continued enthusiastically, "You know he's the third generation of his family to join the army!"

"Doesn't he talk for himself?" Sherry asked, and Pooja flushed.

"Of course I do, and I'm happy to meet you." Ali told her politely.

"And I'm Yudi," the remaining young man told her, coming over to join them. "And that's basically our whole gang."

It was then that Captain Rajveer walked in and the cadets scrambled to get back to their places.

"Well everyone, I'm sure you've all noticed that we have a new arrival." He told them, "From today Sherry Gehlot is going to be a member of your batch and I'm sure she'll prove her capabilities very soon."

He didn't ask them to help her out… he knew that Sherry wouldn't appreciate it.

Turning back to the blackboard, Raj began his lesson for the day.

He'd done all he could for now.

/

Meanwhile in her room, Ritu Mishra dialled a number, drumming her fingers impatiently on the table until the person on the other end picked up.

"So what have you found?" she asked them, "You'd better have something good for me."

"We're having trouble tracking down any information on her," the man replied, "But I think we're getting close, we've just managed to access her transfer records from her college before this one, she only joined there after her marriage."

"Interesting…" Ritu commented, "So after her marriage she moved but didn't go to live with her husband…"

"We're trying to find out more, ma'am." The man told her, "We'll have some information as soon as possible."

"You'd better," Ritu threatened him, "You know what depends upon this, and you know who'll be angry if you fail."

"Of course ma'am," the man replied nervously, "It will be done as soon as possible."

Ritu hung up the phone and crossed to the window, looking out of it.

She knew that Naina Singh Shekawat was hiding a secret, now all she had to figure out was exactly what it was.

When she did… nobody would be able to save Naina from her.

That was Ritu's promise.


	19. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen

On Sherry's third official day as a KMA cadet, Ritu decided that it was time she finally met the girl properly. After all, she was Captain Rajveer's sister, and from the hostility that she was currently showing, she could definitely be useful.

And so while Sherry sat outside studying some notes she'd gotten from Yudi, Ritu approached her.

"Hi," she said in her best friendly tone, "I don't think that we've met yet."

"No, we haven't." Sherry replied, making no effort to actually introduce herself.

"Well I'm Dr. Ritu Mishra," Ritu continued, refusing to give up.

"Well I'm sure you already know who I am." Sherry told her, an uninterested expression on her face, looking the woman up and down, unimpressed by the picture she presented in her sari and makeup. "What are you doing a military academy?" Sherry asked her.

"I'm the academy's psychiatrist," Ritu told her, "Basically if any of the cadets…"

"So you're a shrink," Sherry cut her off, "And as far as I've had experience with shrinks, they're more likely to mess with your head than fix it, so stay away from mine."

"It's nothing like that," Ritu tried to reassure her in a friendly manner, really wanting to slap the girl for being so rude. "I'm here so that if you need a friend to talk to…."

"If I need a friend to talk to then I'll go find someone who's actually a friend." Sherry told her, and without waiting for an answer, picked up her books and walked towards the hostel.

Ritu's friendly expression turned to a hard glare. For now, she would stay away from the young woman. She had other ways to accomplish what she wanted.

/

"You know, I was thinking, why don't we take Sherry and show her around town today?" Raj suggested to Naina on Sunday as they were getting ready for the day.

Naina nodded, her back was turned to him as she combed her hair and so she didn't see the way that his eyes followed the movement of her hand, the way that his gaze fell upon her hair where it rested upon her shoulders. Finally pulling it back in a loose pony tail, she turned around to face him.

"It's a good idea, but are you sure you don't want to take her by yourself?" Naina asked him, "I think you two need time to get used to each other again and I would hate to intrude on that."

"Oh you definitely won't be intruding," Raj reassured her, "In fact I think it would help if you came along, Sherry has been responding much more positively to you than she has to me."

Naina looked at Raj sympathetically, knowing that it was difficult for him to deal with so much hostility and avoidance from a sister he loved.

"She just needs some time." Naina told him, "Sooner or later things will improve between the two of you."

"I hope so," Raj remarked worriedly, "I worry about her, you know. I have no idea what her life has been like in the time I haven't been there, but I know that Lala Saheb hasn't been around much. In many ways she has a right to be angry with me…"

"It wasn't your fault," Naina said, coming over to sit beside Raj and putting her hand on his shoulder, "I know you would've liked to have seen her more often, it was because of your duties that you couldn't."

"Still…" Raj trailed off, "Anyway, today will go someway towards bridging the distance between us."

/

When they found Sherry she was sitting at breakfast with the other cadets, surrounded by the five friends. Just as she had told Naina, she hadn't made any effort to make friends, and yet almost by default she had ended up becoming a part of their group. A mostly silent, quite sarcastic part of it but a part nonetheless.

And if Sherry told the truth, then although she'd gotten used to being alone, she really didn't mind their company.

It almost made her feel like she had friends.

Raj and Naina walked over to the group's table and everybody smiled and greeted them. Sherry gave a short nod to them but neither Raj nor Naina were offended, they knew it was the most they could expect from her at the moment.

"We thought we could take you to see around Ambala today, Sherry." Raj told her, "That's if you would like to go with us." He left it up to her, knowing that way that the answer was more likely to be positive.

"Why not?" Sherry asked him with a shrug, "At least I'll get out of this academy for awhile."

"Then we'll go at ten. Enjoy your time off cadets, because this week the academy's annual appraisal will begin and you'll have to work twice as hard as normal." He warned them, and then smiling at his success, he and Naina walked off again, leaving the cadets alone.

"Arre wah, why couldn't they invite me to come along too?" Huda asked, "I wouldn't mind getting out of this academy for awhile, especially in the company of such a pretty janani." He winked at Sherry who made no response at all, just continuing to sit there stony faced.

"Huda, are you Captain Rajveer's sister?" Yudi asked him sarcastically, "No, right? And until you are, you're not going to get invited anywhere."

Despite trying hard not to, Sherry smirked at this comment.

"Aalekh got invited home for Diwali," Huda protested, "How come he gets special treatment? That's favouritism!"

"Stop your drama, nautanki." Aalekh told him, "If I have any family in the world… then it's her." And he nodded in Naina's direction, his expression serious. "Besides, why do you need someone to take you out? I'm going out today."

"Oh really, where are you off to Qaidi?" Huda asked him, suddenly interested, "Mind if I come along with you?"

"Yes." Aalekh told him, "I do mind."

"Why?" Yudi asked him, "Do you have some secret girlfriend you don't want us to know about?"

The silent glare that Aalekh gave him was enough to make him decide he wouldn't ask again.

/

Shortly before 10am, the cadets had all separated in different directions in order to spend their Sunday. As Sherry walked towards the entrance where she would be meeting Raj and Naina, she found Aalekh headed in the same direction.

They exited the academy at the same time, and as Aalekh walked away, Raj called him over.

"Where are you headed, Aalekh?" he asked him, "Would you like to join us?"

"No Sir… I've got plans." Aalekh told him, "Actually I said I'd meet Ne…" and he suddenly stopped saying the name, as if not sure whether he should be revealing it to his teacher or not.

Naina smiled, knowing perfectly well who he was talking about. "Have fun," she told him, "And try to be back in time for our lesson tonight."

Aalekh nodded, giving her a small smile in return, and set off towards the exit of the academy.

"Do you think he needs a lift?" Raj asked Naina, "We could drop him somewhere."

"Trust me, Aalekh will go by himself." Naina told him, "Shall we go now?"

They climbed into the jeep, Raj and Naina sitting in the front seats and Sherry in the back.

They showed her around the city area, first to see the main shopping areas and then moving on to see some of the more famous sights such as the Bhawani Amba temple and the Badshahi Bag Gurudwara.

Right before lunch they stopped off at City Park, strolling around the gardens. Sherry seemed more relaxed for once, almost as if she had let her guard down, and Raj and Naina were been careful to keep the conversation light, avoiding any serious topics.

He was just pointing something out to her, when he turned around to find Sherry smirking at him, looking amused.

"What is it?" he asked her.

"I never realised that you were so shy, Bhaiyya," she told him, "I can't believe you're too embarrassed to hold your wife's hand in front of me."

Raj started to protest that he wasn't, and then started laughing. He supposed that Sherry was right, because more and more these days whenever he and Naina are out walking he would either take her hand or put his arm around her shoulders. He liked the fact that they were now comfortable enough with each other for him to be able to do so, that he didn't have to ask or be awkward before he did so.

He noticed that Naina was now trying not to blush, and reaching over, he took her hand firmly in his.

"There, happy now?" he asked Sherry.

She just shrugged, but there was a small amused smile on her face.

And as he turned to walk further up the path, Raj intertwined his fingers with Naina's, revelling in the warmth and softness of her hand. Her fingers felt impossibly small and delicate against his, and while she wasn't looking up at him, he could see that she was smiling shyly.

/

Sitting in her room at the academy Ritu fumed, no matter what she did, every single one of her plans ended up ruined. Captain Rajveer hadn't fallen for her, Naina hadn't become jealous, Sherry had refused to even speak to her properly. If things continued like this then she would fail in her mission, and she knew what the consequences would be if that happened.

She picked up a glass, wanting to throw it against the wall, when her phone began to ring.

Picking it up, Ritu listened to what the man on the other end had to say, her expressions changing slowly. When he had finished she gave him some instructions before hanging up.

Now this… was interesting.

Far better than she could've imagined.

And for the first time in many days, Ritu found herself in a good mood.

/

Sitting in a café for lunch, Raj watched as Sherry picked at her sandwich disinterestedly. He did feel that they had made some progress today, but she was still far too silent and sullen for his liking.

"So how are you finding the academy so far?" he asked her, "Do you feel like you're settling in well?"

"It doesn't matter where I am," Sherry told him, "Everywhere is the same and people are the same everywhere. Whether college or here, it's still been chosen for me by Dad."

"You know that he just wants what's best for you," Raj told her, "He sent you here because he was worried about you."

Sherry gave a short, bitter laugh. "Oh really? I was under the impression that he wants the best for him and that he sent me here because he was worried about me embarrassing him."

"Whatever the reason was, I'm glad that you're here with us now." Naina broke in, wanting to diffuse the tension, "I've been waiting to meet you for a long time."

"Well I would've been waiting to meet you too if Bhaiyya had ever bothered to tell me about you." Sherry responded, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Raj accusingly. "I'm still waiting to hear an explanation for why you never did tell me."

"It was the circumstances at the time." Raj replied, realising that he and Naina had never thought of a good cover story for why they hadn't informed anyone about their marriage.

"Which means that you're not going to tell me, doesn't it?" Sherry asked him, and then she sighed, "Whatever… you don't owe me any explanation anyway." She pushed the remains of her sandwich away.

Naina and Raj glanced at each other, and not for the first time he wished that things could have been different. He wished that their marriage had happened in happier circumstances and that he'd actually told his friends and family about it.

"I'm sorry Sherry, I really am." He told her, "I know I haven't been around much the past few years and I know I should've told you I got married… I don't have any excuses to give, but I'll try to be a good brother from now on."

For a moment he saw an emotion in her eyes that looked like a combination of deep hurt and longing, but he couldn't know how right he was. Because Sherry did long to tell him that everything was forgiven and that from now on she would be the sister that she used to be, the one that could never wait for him to come visit, that would hug him as soon as he entered the house.

But so many things had happened since then.

And she had been so alone that she'd gotten used to not wanting to rely on anyone.

So instead she just shrugged.

"Well at least you made a good choice of who to get married to." She told him, "I really never would've forgiven you if you ended up with one of those society airheads that Dad probably would've liked you to marry."

Raj knew that for now, that was as much of a statement of forgiveness as he was going to get from her.

As they walked towards the car, Sherry in front of them, Naina reached out and took Raj's hand, squeezing it encouragingly.

No matter how difficult the current situation was, he couldn't help but feel that in the end it really would all work out

/

It was the middle of the night and they were sound asleep when the academy's assembly alarm went off, startling them both awake. Raj tried to get up to switch on the light but it took him a minute as still emerging from sleep, he couldn't quite work out how to disentangle his legs from Naina's or how they became so entangled in the first place.

Eventually he managed to reach the lamp and found his wife staring at him, her face white.

"What's going on?" she asked him, clearly scared by the sound of an alarm and what it might signal.

"It's the assembly alarm," Raj told her, "Usually it's only used in emergencies, but we need to make our way to the main assembly point."

He knew there was no time for either of them to get properly dressed, and so they headed out the door in their night clothes, Raj thankful that at least he was wearing sweat pants and a t-shirt.

Guiding Naina with a hand on her back, they made their way to the main assembly area where bleary eyed cadets were now standing around, rubbing their eyes and trying to work out what was going on.

"Why is my sleep mode being disrupted like this?" Pooja asked nobody in particular, yawning widely. "We only get a few hours to recharge and now even that has been put on hold."

"It must be something important, Pooja." Ali told her, "Wait and see what they say."

When the announcement occurred, the person who stepped up to make it was not BC, it was somebody entirely different that they'd never seen before.

"KMA Cadets, do you call this standing to attention?" the man asked them, "Get into formation properly and try to look like soldiers."

The cadets scrambled into their lines, attempting to straighten up. Pooja stifled another yawn.

"Much better," the man told them, "But still not up to military standards… You're all going to have to do something to impress me during the next week because otherwise you'll find yourselves out on the streets. My name is Major Bhargav and I'm here to conduct the annual appraisal of your academy."

As Naina glanced at Raj, she saw that his expression had tightened and that his right hand was clenched into a fist.

"And I can see that we have a lot of work to do," Major Bhargav tells them, "So for now why don't you all go for a jog around the mountain… and keep jogging until I tell you to stop. So off you go, right now!"

The cadets stood stunned for a moment, and then realising what he'd just told them, started to move out, jogging in the direction of the mountain.

Looking at those still assembled, Major Bhargav's gaze finally came to rest on Raj and a mocking smile came to his face.

"Ah, Captain Rajveer, what a pleasure to see you again after such a very long time." He told Raj, "It's been four years, hasn't it?"

Seeing the man standing there in front of him, Raj couldn't help thinking that it hadn't been nearly long enough because he could already feel the hatred rising in him, threatening to overtake him.

"Yes Sir," he replied, his fist still clenched. "Four years."

"In fact I believe the last time I saw you was the day that your friend, that Gaddar Navin Singh Ahluwalia was convicted of being a traitor." Bhargav told him with a smirk, checking to see the reaction.

Staring at the man in front of her, his words ringing in her ears, Naina felt her world beginning to fall down around her.

After years of trying to forget, a part of her past had once again caught up with her.


	20. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen

The arrival of Major Bhargav had been like that of a storm in the academy. Declaring that practically everything was not up to the correct standards, he had made as many changes as possible to their training routine, their food, and also to their appearances, making the boys cut their hair short and ensuring that the girls' hair was always tied in the regulation braid, completely plain.

All except one girl that was.

"I'm not changing my hair," Sherry had told him stubbornly. "Do whatever you like to me, the streaks are staying."

"Oh you are indeed going to change your hair, girly." Major Bhargav told her, "I can have you thrown out of this academy for disobeying me."

"Then throw me out," Sherry had told him with a shrug, "I never wanted to be here in the first place, if you throw me out then it will be an embarrassment to my father and I couldn't think of anything better than that."

She had kept staring at him with a measuring gaze, as if to check if he would back down at the mention of the powerful Lala Saheb.

And sure enough he did.

"I can have you punished for disobeying an order, how would you feel about a week in solitary confinement?" He asked her angrily.

"I like being by myself," Sherry told him, "And anyway, there's no reason to be so jealous about my hair just because you don't have any of your own."

So she had been thrown into solitary confinement for a day with no food, despite Raj's protests that she hadn't been in the academy long enough to be able to endure that type of punishment.

"Man, you've got to admire that girl's guts." Yudi commented to the rest of them, "I mean standing up to Mogambo like that, I would never be able to do that."

"Yudie, she doesn't just have guts, she's damn gorgeous too." Huda commented, "Now that's exactly the type of girl that's perfect for me."

"You've started again?" Ali asked him in disgust, "Hudabhai I can't believe you're thinking that way while she's in solitary confinement."

"She'll be alright," Aalekh suddenly spoke up, "She does have guts, and more importantly, she believes she's got nothing left to lose."

As abruptly as he had spoken he shut up again, leaving the rest looking at him in surprise.

/

Naina and Shalini were both anxiously waiting outside solitary confinement for Sherry to be released the next day. Raj had felt terrible about not being there to meet her when she got out but Bhargav had threatened him with disciplinary action if he missed the drill that he was supposed to take.

Sherry stumbled slightly as she came out of the room, her eyes were slightly bleary from a combination of lack of light and lack of sleep. Naina quickly supported her, putting her arm around the girl's waist. Sherry made a gesture as if to shrug Naina off and then changing her mind, accepted the support.

"How are you, cadet?" Shalini asked her worriedly as they made their way towards Raj and Naina's room with her.

"I've still got my hair." Sherry replied perfectly seriously and Shalini looked at her in disbelief.

It was only when they reached the door of the room that Sherry realised where they had been heading.

"Why are we at your room?" She asked Naina, "Why aren't we going to my room instead?"

"Because I've got some food ready for you to eat," Naina told her, "You need some after being in solitary confinement without anything to eat. Shalini will also take your BP and then you can go to your room."

Sherry looked like she wanted to protest, but Naina suspected she was probably so hungry that it took away some of her pride. She slumped onto one of the couches as soon as they entered the room, leaning her head on the back of the chair as Shalini took her BP.

"Well it's a little low, but that's to be expected." Shalini told her, "Make sure you eat now and then rest until tomorrow, you should be fine."

"Thanks Shalini," Naina told her, "We'll be fine now."

Nodding at Naina with a smile, Shalini left the room and Naina brought over the food she had prepared for Sherry. Sherry started eating ravenously before she eventually slowed down, and when it was finished she looked at Naina as if remembering something.

"Shouldn't you be at college right now?" Sherry asked her.

Naina shrugged, "I was there this morning," she told Sherry, "I just left slightly early, it won't hurt me to miss an afternoon."

"You left so that you could make me lunch?" Sherry asked Naina, and the expression on her face was truly indescribable. It was as if she wanted to trust, to open up to Naina, but was still afraid that whatever she had gained would turn out to only be a dream. "You didn't have to do that, I can look after myself."

"Well Raj knew that he wouldn't be able to be here when you came out of detention since Major Bhargav wouldn't let him miss the drill, and the cadets have their classes... I didn't want you to have to get food for yourself as well as make it to your room. I know you can look after yourself, but sometimes it's nice to have someone else look after you."

"I'd forgotten what that was like," Sherry murmured, and then looked surprised at herself for saying it. "Thank you," she finally told Naina, "You know… my brother is lucky to have you."

"Actually I'm the one that's lucky to have him." Naina replied, "If it wasn't for him…" And she stopped abruptly, remembering that she shouldn't be revealing herself.

"You really love him a lot, don't you?" Sherry asked, even as her eyes were beginning to close and she was clearly drifting off to sleep.

"Yes," Naina admitted, as she helped Sherry to stand and assisted her to the bed in the other room. "Yes I do."

And her heart felt so much lighter.


	21. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty

Raj entered an hour later, opening the door to their quarters quietly to find Naina studying in the lounge area.

"Sherry?" he asked, and she nodded in the direction of the bedroom. Moving there quietly he found his sister curled up into a ball on the bed, fast asleep.

"And she ate?" he checked, sitting down on the arm of the sofa Naina was sitting on and she nodded again, both of them trying not to make any noise so as not to wake Sherry up.

"Thank you." Raj told her, not needing to elaborate on what he was thanking her for, and Naina just smiled at him, the look in her eyes so understanding and affectionate that it felt perfectly natural for Raj to reach out and brush a strand of hair out of her eyes, tucking it behind her ear. He allowed his fingers to linger there for a moment before he reluctantly dropped his hand back to rest on his leg.

"It's no problem," Naina told him self consciously, "She might be your sister… but even I have a relationship with her to fulfil."

Raj took one of Naina's hands in both of his, holding it tightly. "Sometimes I don't know what I'd do without you," he told her honestly, "It was a lucky day the day I decided to come to your house."

Naina blushed, it was the closest that he'd ever gotten to a confession of love, and she hadn't been expecting it at all.

Raj finally released her hand gently and then got up from his perch on the side of her sofa. "I'll let you keep studying," he told her, and walked away to get some of his own teaching materials to go through, unaware of Naina's eyes on his back and the small smile on her face.

/

When Sherry woke up she was initially confused by where she was and by the soft voices that she could hear coming through the door.

Switching on the lamp, she realised that she was asleep in her brother's bedroom and rubbing her eyes, opened the door to the main room, finding Raj and Naina discussing something seriously as they stood in the kitchen, preparing dinner.

"How long have I been asleep for?" she asked them, and they turned around, surprised by her presence.

"About five hours." Naina told her, "I was actually expecting you to be asleep for much longer."

"I had a dream…" Sherry said, frowning, "That Mogambo was trying to shave my head."

Raj stared at her for a minute, not having heard the name that the cadets called Major Bhargav before and Naina struggled not to laugh.

"Well you've woken up in time," she told Sherry, "Dinner will be ready in about fifteen minutes. We thought it would be best if we all ate together rather than you having to go to the mess, and then afterwards you can go to your room to sleep properly."

For once, Sherry didn't protest or say there was no need, instead she wandered over to watch what they were doing. She didn't say anything, just watched them as they worked, and Raj felt the need to break the silence.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked her, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there when they let you out, Major Bhargav wouldn't let me miss the drill."

Sherry shrugged as if to say she didn't care, "I know how it is Bhaiyya," she told him, "Work always comes first." He couldn't miss the slightly hurt tone in her voice that she tried to hide behind nonchalance.

"Well we'll be spending more time together in the days to come," Raj informed her, "Major Bhargav announced a mentorship program while you were in solitary confinement and I'll be your mentor. We're leaving for a camp the day after tomorrow."

"So did they ask you to take me?" Sherry asked, "Was I too much trouble for the rest of the teachers?"

"No," Raj told her, "I asked for you. I thought it would be a good opportunity for us to get to know one another again."

And Sherry, despite herself, almost smiled.

/

Ritu was also smiling, in fact she hadn't stopped since the package she had been waiting for arrived. She now had everything she needed, and had only been biding her time until the right moment.

And now… now finally the right moment had arrived.

It was time to put her plan into action.

It was time for Ritu to win for once.

/

On the day that the mentorship camp was scheduled to begin, Naina watched as Raj finished buttoning up his uniform's jacket over the t-shirt and pants he was already wearing. Watching him, she couldn't help but feel a sense of pride.

"It's only for 36 hours," Raj told her, "Hardly any time at all." She knew that he was trying to reassure her, but it seemed almost as if he was trying to reassure himself as well.

"I'll be fine," Naina told him, "Suriji is here if I need anything. You don't need to worry."

"I'm not…" Raj started to say, and then stopped, realising how obvious he was being. "Fine, I am, but can you blame me? Most of us will be away on the camp, and…"

"I really will be fine," Naina told him, "I'll be leaving for college when you leave for the camp and I won't be back until the afternoon. I'll study as usual and then go to bed early."

"You're sure?" Raj asked her, "I mean…"

"What?" Naina asked him, unable to stop a smile, "If I won't be fine then you'll refuse to go on the mentorship camp?"

Realising how ridiculous he was being, Raj suddenly smiled.

"Just try to have a good time there with Sherry," Naina told him, "It could really help your relationship to spend this time together alone."

Raj nodded, agreeing with her, and then taking a step forward, folded his arms around Naina, hugging her tightly. When she put her arms around his waist, hugging him back, he held her to him closer, squeezing her tightly. Hearing the assembly bell, Raj realised that it was time to leave, and reluctantly letting go of her, he kissed her softly on her right cheek. When he looked down at Naina, the smile on her face made him want to kiss her left one as well.

"Then I'll see you after 36 hours," he told her, and Naina nodded.

"I'll be here waiting for you when you get back." She promised him and Raj left after one last backwards glance.

/

The pairs had set off for their first destination, taking it at a light jog, and Raj made sure to go at a slower pace, knowing that Sherry wasn't as used to physical exercise as the other cadets yet.

"So why were you late this morning?" she asked him, having seen that he was one of the last to enter the assembly area, "Couldn't bring yourself to leave your wife for a few days?"

Raj stared at her, shaking his head slightly but refusing to comment.

"You know Sherry, technically as well as being your elder brother I'm also your superior officer." He told her, "Sooner or later you're going to have to get used to speaking properly to superior officers."

"Yeah right," Sherry scoffed, "If I don't speak properly to Mogambo, then what makes you think I'm going to do it around you, Bhaiyya?"

Raj knew that they really did have a long way to go.

/

As Aalekh jogged along with his mentor Dr. Ritu, he noticed that she seemed exceptionally glad today.

"You look happy," Aalekh told her, "Did you get some good news?"

And Ritu smiled, "It's just an exceptionally good day today." She told him.

For some reason he couldn't work out, Aalekh wasn't sure that he liked the way she had said that.

/

As they worked on setting up the tent, Raj asked Sherry the question he'd wanted to ask for a long time now.

"Sherry, do you really hate me? I know I haven't been around much, but I always tried to visit whenever possible… and you know that I missed you when I was away from you, that I worried about you."

Sherry looked ready to fight, but then she suddenly deflated, as if all the air has been let out of a balloon. "No Bhaiyya, I don't hate you," she told him, "But I've changed… I don't want to rely on you or anyone else from now on, no matter what happens, I can look after myself."

Raj wondered what it was that could possibly have taken away all her trust, that had made her so hostile and so unwilling to rely on others. Whatever it was, he hoped that he could help her to overcome it.

/

That afternoon, Naina had returned from her college and rather than study alone in her room, she had headed to the mess, it was quieter than usual with most of the cadets gone. Suriji smiled at her fondly as she walked in, and she smiled back at him.

"Would you like some chai, putar?" he asked her affectionately.

"That would be wonderful Suriji," Naina told him, "I'll just do some study here for awhile and then go to sleep early."

"Don't worry Naina Putar, they'll be back in no time." Suriji told her, "It seems so empty here without all of them, doesn't it?"

"It certainly does," Naina agreed, "Much less noise without our cadets for one thing."

They both laughed before Naina sat down with her books and Suriji began to prepare the chai.

She has just opened up one of her textbooks, turning to the correct page when Brigadier Chandook entered the mess. Looking up, Naina smiled at him, but he didn't return it, giving her a stony gaze instead.

It was his next words that shocked her.

"Naina Singh Ahluwalia." He ground out, and Naina's heart almost stopped beating.

"No," she told him, "Naina Singh Shekawat." Her heart was now beating so loudly it was the only noise she could hear in her ears.

"But that was your name wasn't it?" Brigadier Chandook asked her, "Before marriage?" She noticed that he was holding an envelope and a piece of paper in one hand, a piece of paper that looked like a copy of her marriage certificate.

Naina realised that she had finally been exposed, that she couldn't run from her past anymore.

"Yes," she admitted, "Before marriage I was Naina Singh Ahluwalia, sister of Navin Singh Ahluwalia."

At her announcement, Suriji dropped the chai he had been bringing to her, the mug shattering on the floor loudly.

Naina wondered whether she would be able to stop herself from shattering as well.


	22. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One

As the chai spread slowly across the floor while Suriji looked on in shock, Brigadier Chandook's face darkened in anger.

"How dare you come to this academy?" he asked her, "Kanchanjunga Military Academy keeps no connection with traitors."

Naina met his eyes, scared but not defeated. "I didn't want to come here, Sir," she told him simply, "You ordered my husband to bring me here, and when he requested me to come I came."

"Without admitting who you were, without letting us know anything." Brigadier Chandook continued, "Carrying out such a large deceit."

"I never meant to deceive anybody," Naina replied quietly, a tremour coming into her voice, "I wanted to leave the past behind, to start a new life here."

"Well I'm sorry Ms Ahluwalia," Brigadier Chandook told her, "But this academy can not allow a traitor's relatives to stay here. I want you gone by tomorrow morning."

"It's Mrs Shekawat," Naina told him with a trace of fire, even as her voice broke, "And I'm not going anywhere until my husband comes back."

But Brigadier Chandook fixed her with a fierce gaze. "You'll be gone by tomorrow morning," he ordered her, "Or I'll have you removed."

Then he strode out of the mess, leaving Naina alone with Suriji who was still staring at her as if he'd seen a ghost.

"Suriji…" Naina began to say pleadingly, tears coming to her eyes.

"All of this time…" Suriji said, "You're Navin's sister? You never said a word…"

"What was I supposed to say?" Naina asked him, crying now, "Would anyone have accepted me if they knew? I tried to forget… tried to hide it… for Raj's sake at least."

Seeing the normally calm young woman crying in front of him, suddenly fragile and seeming as if she might break at any moment, Suriji made his decision.

"I'm so sorry, putar," he told her, crossing to place his hand on her head kindly, "I'm so sorry… but what can I do to help? When the Brigadier has made his decision…"

"Please Suriji, just… find some way to let Raj know what has happened." Naina begged him. "I said that I would be waiting for him… I said that…." And she broke down into tears as Suriji tried to calm her, patting her hair.

"I'll go and bring him back for you, I promise, putar." He told her, "You go to your room and rest for awhile, and when Suriji returns, your husband will be with him."

All Naina could do was trust that he would keep his promise.

/

It was already night time and the cadets and their mentors had sat down to dinner when Suriji appeared, out of breath from having run the distance from where he had left the jeep to where they were camped. Knowing what Naina's state was, he was reluctant to leave her alone for too long, wanting to bring Raj back as soon as possible.

Everyone looked up, surprised to see him there, especially Major Bhargav.

"I don't recall calling you for the mentorship camp," Major Bhargav commented, "What are you doing here?"

"I just need to speak to Captain Shekawat for two minutes, Sirji." Suriji told him, and intrigued, Major Bhargav nodded.

Suriji drew Raj aside as the others looked on curiously, and as Suriji whispered to him furiously, Raj's expression changed from shock to one of panic.

When Suriji had finished, Raj turned back to Major Bhargav, his face pale and lined with worry.

"I'm sorry Sir… but there's an emergency, I need to return to the academy." Raj announced.

"And has Suriji brought official permission from Brigadier Chandook for you to return there?" Bhargav asked, a sly smile on his face.

"No Sir, but I need to go back immediately." Raj told him, "Please grant me leave to."

By now the cadets, Lolita and Shalini were glancing at each other, concerned. Looking at Ritu, Aalekh noticed that she hadn't reacted much yet and then as he glanced back at Raj, the colour drained from Aalekh's face as he guessed what was wrong.

"If you go then you'll have failed in your duties as a mentor," Major Bhargav told him, "Do you really want to let your cadet down?"

"I'm sorry Sherry, I really am." Raj told her, the edge in his voice evident to everyone now, "But I have to go."

And for once, seeing the obvious panic on his face, she didn't have the heart to make a smart comment about always being left behind.

Raj didn't wait for any further permission but sprinted off, Suriji doing his best to keep up.

"Well… so Captain Rajveer has abandoned his protégé to attend to some personal business," Major Bhargav commented with a smirk, "How sad for you, Cadet Gehlot."

Sherry fixed him with a piercing gaze, "Well I'm not sad at all… Sir" she told him, "And I think that whatever happens between a mentor and a protégé should be their own business."

"Still… won't you feel terribly scared staying alone by yourself tonight?" Bhargav asked her, "How could he leave you in this situation?"

"You can stay with me!" Pooja told her cheerfully, trying to find someone else to stay with her and Mucchad.

"Uh thanks, but no thanks Pooja." Sherry replied, glancing in Major Nair's direction.

She surveyed the rest of her options, Aalekh and Dr. Mishra… no way was she spending the night with that shrink, Yudi and Ms Simran… that fruity yoga teacher would drive her crazy, Dr. Shalini and Huda… definitely not. Finally she made her decision.

"I'll be spending the night with Lolitaji and Ali." She declared, much to the surprise of everyone and the obvious disappointment of Huda.

Pooja gaped at her.

Sherry just shrugged, out of everybody there, they were the combination that she was least likely to get into trouble with.

As everybody else went to leave, Sherry motioned for Aalekh to step aside, waiting until the others were far enough away to speak.

"I saw your face," she told him, "You know what's wrong, don't you?"

Aalekh didn't reply, but his face clearly spoke the answer.

"What is it?" she asked him, "Is it Naina?"

"If I'm right… then we'll all know soon enough." Aalekh replied before walking away and Sherry cursed before following Lolitaji and Ali to their tent.

/

The moment the jeep pulled up at the academy with a screech, Raj jumped out, not bothering to wait for Suriji before running towards his and Naina's room, skidding through the hallway in his haste.

He flung the door open and ran in, shutting it behind him and locking it before turning towards their bedroom, which is where he found her, sitting on the bed with a blank expression on her face, packed bags by her feet.

When Naina saw him, her face first lifted in hope and then crumpled in despair.

"I'm so sorry," she told Raj, "I don't know how he found out… and now everything…" and she broke down in tears again.

"Hey, hey, it's not your fault." Raj told her, crossing over to where she sat, and taking her face in his hands, making her look at him. "I don't know how he found out either, but now that it has happened, we'll deal with it… we'll deal with it together."

Still crying, Naina shook her head slowly. "I'm leaving tomorrow morning, Brigadier Chandook doesn't want me in the academy, and I can't endanger your mission… I'll go."

"You're not going anywhere." Raj told her forcefully, "Do you hear me? I'm not going to let them send you away, you're going to stay here with me." He crushed her to him, hugging her tightly as she continued to cry into his chest.

"I really thought that I could leave it all behind…" she finally admitted quietly when she'd calmed down slightly, "That I could begin again and nobody would ever find out. But the truth is that no matter where I go, for the world I will always remain a traitor's sister. And you…" Naina broke off sadly, "Your relationship with me will cost you everything… everything."

"I don't care," Raj told her firmly, "We both know the truth about Navin, we know that he wasn't a traitor, and you haven't committed any crime and neither have I. Tomorrow I'll go and talk to Brigadier Chandook but you're not going anywhere, I won't let you."

The fierceness of his voice almost convinced Naina that he was right, that he really would manage to sort everything out in the end.

He hugged her to him, rocking her back and forth to calm her while making soothing sounds, rubbing her back as she cried. Even while he sought to reassure Naina he was seething with anger, cursing whoever it was that has put her into this state in the first place. Exhausted by everything she'd been through that day, Naina slumped against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.

Carefully, Raj assisted her to lie down on the bed, and then not even bothering to change his clothes, lay down beside her, taking her securely in his arms. Reaching out, Naina clung to him as if holding on to a last support, and he tightened his embrace until she was curled completely against him, their limbs entwined. Her breathing slowed and she drifted off to sleep, but Raj stayed awake, stroking her hair for hours afterwards.

He had sworn that he would protect her no matter what, that he would never allow her to be hurt again.

He wouldn't break that promise.

And nobody, no matter what, was going to take his wife away from him.

/

The next morning while Naina still slept, Raj gently removed himself from her embrace, careful not to wake her. After showering, he dressed in his uniform, checking on her on the way out. But she was still asleep, obviously exhausted from the day before. He hoped that she would remain that way until he arrived back, not wanting her to wake up alone. Raj made his way quickly to BC's office, knowing that the general would be there and knocking on the door before entering.

"Ah, Captain Rajveer," Brigadier Chandook greeted him, his face stony, "I can guess what you're here about."

"Naina said that you've asked her to leave, Sir. I'd like to know the reason why."

"I would think that would be obvious, Captain Rajveer," Brigadier Chandook replied, "She's the sister of a traitor, I can't have her in my academy."

"Exactly Sir… she's the sister of a traitor, not a traitor herself." Raj told the General forcefully, "She can't be blamed for the crimes that her brother was accused of, or do you believe in punishing the innocent along with the guilty?"

"And how do we know that she isn't guilty as well?" Brigadier Chandook asked him angrily, "She's kept her real identity secret all this time, how do I know she won't follow her brother's example or seek revenge?"

"Sir, all of these months that you've known Naina, have you ever gotten the impression that she would be likely to do so?" Raj asked him desperately, "All she wants is to live peacefully, to move on from the past. At the very least you can give her a chance to explain her position."

"Oh I agree completely," A voice interrupted from the doorway, "Naina Singh Ahluwalia should be given a chance to explain her position."

"Naina Singh Shekawat," Raj corrected Major Bhargav with a steely voice, "…Sir."

"Oh yes, how careless of me," Major Bhargav replied, "Well she is your wife, so perhaps both of you would like to explain yourselves… you especially Captain, after all, it's not every day that patriots choose to get married to the relatives of traitors."

Raj stared at him with such hatred that he was sure Major Bhargav couldn't help but notice.

"Fine," Brigadier Chandook broke in, "I do believe in doing what's fair, so this afternoon you'll have a chance to explain yourselves, if the answer is satisfactory then your wife can stay, if it's not then she'll leave as I've requested."

"Fine Sir," Raj told him, "We're both prepared to do so," He knew that at the moment it was the best that he could hope for.

Saluting the General, he left the room, heading back to Naina as quickly as possible.

/

Meanwhile the cadets sat in the mess in a state of shock, having found out what had happened after the mentorship camp was called off.

"I can't believe it…" Pooja said, "I mean… Naina… I never thought that…."

"Oy Punjaben, Naina is still the same person she always was." Aalekh said, anger evident in his voice, "She hasn't done anything wrong and even if everybody else does, I won't be abandoning her."

It was one of the longest and most emotional statements he had ever made, and everybody stared at him in shock. But Aalekh crossed his arms over his chest, daring anybody to say anything at all against Naina.

"But you have to admit that it is a shock, Chief." Yudi told him, "I mean I never would've thought that Captain Rajveer would marry the sister of a traitor."

"If he did then he had his reasons." Aalekh replied shortly, "And Captain Rajveer knows better than us what he should and shouldn't do."

Throughout this conversation, in fact ever since the news was revealed, Sherry had remained silent. They all glanced at her now, looking for some type of sign of what she was thinking or feeling, but the only emotion she showed was a slight frown on her face as if thinking about something deeply.

And was in that moment of silence that somebody else's comments drifted across the canteen.

"Poor Captain Rajveer," Sonali remarked to one of her friends, "I can't believe that she managed to entrap him like that… she must have blackmailed him or seduced him to get him to marry her… what a characterless girl, and what a shame for him. I hope now that everyone knows the truth he divorces her and…."

Aalekh had already stood up, but somebody else had moved too fast for him, and before Sonali could complete her sentence, Sherry has slapped her so hard across the face that the sound had rung out throughout the entire canteen.

"Don't you ever…" she started angrily, pointing her finger at Sonali now, "Ever dare say anything about my sister-in-law ever again. Because if you do, then next time you'll wish that a slap is all you get." Then she turned to rest of the assembled cadets in the canteen addressing them all. "And that goes for all of you too, because if any of you dares to talk about this from now on I will hear about it… and you will regret it."

As Sonali clutched her cheek in shock, Sherry turned and walked out of the canteen, leaving everybody else staring at the empty space she had left behind, too stunned to speak.

And a small smile spread across Aalekh's face.

/

Raj was trying to get Naina to have some soup that Suriji has brought for her when Sherry wandered into the room, still not bothering to knock. They both looked up, and Sherry couldn't help but notice an expression of pain cross over Naina's face. Her confidence was obviously shattered and she was expecting rejection now that Sherry knew the truth.

Sherry quietly crossed the room and came to sit down on the other side of Naina. Picking up the spoon from the bowl of soup, she drunk some of it before putting the spoon back down.

"It's quite good," Sherry told her, "Suriji must like you because it's certainly a lot better than the tasteless crap they serve us in the mess."

Naina and Raj both stared at her as if not sure exactly what she was trying to say.

"You know I met your brother," Sherry continued quietly, "I met him twice… I was much younger of course. He came home with Bhaiyya for the holidays and he was nice, I liked him. When I heard the news about him, I never believed it even for a second."

Tears came to Naina's eyes before she could stop them, rolling down her cheeks slowly. Because Sherry is the first person she's heard talk kindly about her brother apart from Raj and her mother and understanding is something that Naina had given up on receiving a long time ago.

"And so I wanted to tell you that you're cool with me, Bhabhi… and Bhaiyya… you're forgiven for not telling me about your marriage." Sherry announced casually, "That doesn't mean that everything else is fine between us though."

She stood up again, considering her work to be done and headed for the door, before turning around at the last moment.

"Oh and don't worry about anyone saying anything to you," Sherry told Naina. "Aalekh and I are more than capable of taking care of that." She left without explaining her statement.

"What did she mean?" Naina asked Raj, finally picking up the spoon and lifting some soup to her lips.

"I'm not sure that I want to know." Raj replied, "Because whoever is on the receiving end of Sherry's anger is certainly going to regret it."

It was a simple thing, but Naina felt some of her confidence return, because she knew now that whatever happened, she at least had the support of those she loved.

Now all she had to do was prove herself to those who would prefer to see her gone.

But with Raj by her side, she thought that she was finally ready to overcome her fears once and for all.


	23. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty Two

Sonali asked for her room mate to be changed and Lolitajij ordered Sherry to swap with Vishali.

Pooja seemed happy to have Sherry as her room mate but was also a little bit nervous, knowing very well by now about her bad temper.

"Don't worry," Sherry announced sarcastically, "I'm not going to slap you." Pooja relaxed, until Sherry continued her sentence, "Not unless you say anything against my Bhabhi anyway."

"Of course I wouldn't," Pooja told her hastily, "You know Naina is one of the only people I've made a proper connection with at this academy, no matter what she always understands my outgoings…"

Sherry privately thought that that was quite a miracle.

"It's just that it was quite a shock," Pooja continued, "For awhile my network became jammed after I heard it, I mean for Naina's brother to be…"

"Pooja, nobody can choose their relatives." Sherry told her seriously, and Pooja was surprised to hear the genuine pain in Sherry's voice. "And nobody should be held responsible for their sins either." Sherry continued, her expression unreadable.

Pooja stared at her in surprise, because she had never heard Sherry express herself this seriously without any type of sarcasm before. It was something very serious indeed.

/

Naina couldn't eat she was so nervous, she'd been trying to finish one piece of toast for the last five minutes but she just couldn't get it down her throat. Her hands kept shaking as she tried to tear it into bite size pieces and eventually Raj took the piece of bread out of her hands and began to do it himself, tearing a small piece off and offering it to her.

As he brought the bread to her mouth with his right hand, he lifted his left to smooth her hair, and Naina leaned into his touch, closing her eyes briefly as a single tear slipped down her cheek. For his sake at least she took the bread, forcing herself to swallow it.

He picked up another piece of bread, trying to encourage her to eat more, but Naina shook her head. Instead she placed her hands on top of his offered one, grasping it.

With his spare hand, Raj reached out to caress her cheek softly and Naina drew strength from that small gesture.

"I'll be with you throughout this," he told her, "I'll be right by your side. There's nothing to be scared about."

She wasn't so very scared anymore, except of losing him.

Because she really did love him, oh god how she loved him.

The moment that Naina had realised that BC had found out, her biggest fear hadn't been the exposure of her past. It had been what would happen to Raj as a result and whether she would have to leave him.

In these short few months together he had become so much a part of her that she didn't know how she would be able to live apart from him.

Naina now understood why it was that her brother had loved him so much, trusted him so much, even enough to ask him to…

There was a knock at the door and they both looked up to find Shalini standing there hesitantly.

"Come in Shalini," Raj told her, dropping his hand from Naina's face. "We were just having some breakfast…"

"How are you now, Naina?" Shalini asked her, clearly concerned, crossing the room and putting a comforting hand on Naina's shoulder.

"Better…" Naina replied quietly, "I'm just waiting for this all to be over."

"There's not long to go now," Shalini told her reassuringly, "Just don't lose your confidence, Suriji and I are both with you, and I suspect that Lolitaji and Ritu will be as well when they hear your side of the story. Brigadier Chandook can't throw you out for such a reason."

Naina gave Shalini a small smile, trying to reassure her that she really was doing okay.

"I can't believe how stupid I was," Shalini told them, "When you first arrived I was so nosy, trying to find everything out. I'm really sorry about that."

"There was no way that you could've known," Raj replied, "and it was perfectly natural for you to be curious about Naina."

They all remained silent for a moment, Shalini's hand still on Naina's shoulder as she looked at the clock.

"Well are you ready to go?" Shalini asked them, "We should probably head over there soon."

Naina nodded, and holding Raj's hand tightly, they followed Shalini out of the room.

A small smile came to Raj's face when he saw the sight that greeted them outside the door, the six cadets who had been waiting for them to come out. Aalekh leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, his posture tense. Sherry and Huda stood near by him, Sherry twisting a strand of brightly coloured hair around one finger nervously while Huda watched her with interest on his face. Yudi paced up and down unable to control his nervous energy while Ali and Pooja were deep in conversation, whispering to each other.

As soon as they saw Raj, Naina and Shalini, they all stood to attention.

"We're all here to send our support sms's to you." Pooja told Naina emotionally, "Nobody should cut your connection with this academy."

"And if they do… then they'll find this entire academy pulled down." Aalekh said in a quietly dangerous undertone.

"We support you, ma'am." Ali told her, "Innocent people should never be blamed for crimes they didn't commit, it's injustice."

Naina smiled, knowing how deeply the serious young man felt about justice and principles.

"They just can't throw you out," Yudi claimed passionately, "We'll start a petition or go on a hunger strike. We'll…"

"Arre Yudi-e, why do you fear when Huda is here?" Their Jat friend asked, "Let them just try anything and they'll see."

"See Bhabhi," Sherry cut in, "You've got lots of supporters already, what is there to fear from those guys? Two of them don't have enough hair and one of them has too much of it on his face."

This finally did make Naina smile properly, and the cadets grinned at each other in triumph. "Thank you all," Naina told them emotionally, "You really have made me feel more confident now."

"Yes thank you cadets," Raj looked at each one of them in turn, expressing his gratitude, "Your support means a lot to us. Now all we can do is hope for the best." They all nodded, looking rather tense, and Raj, Naina and Shalini moved towards the room where the hearing was to be held, meeting Suriji outside who placed a fatherly hand on Naina's head, telling her to keep faith in god.

Walking into the room they all sat along one side of the table, Raj and Naina in the centre with Shalini next to Naina and Suriji next to Raj. The rest of the participants soon arrived as well, BC taking a seat at the head of the table, and Major Bhargav, Major Nair, Ritu and Lolita sitting along the other side.

"We all know why we're here today." Brigadier Chandook announced gruffly. "I always believe in fair hearings, and so Mrs Shekawat will get exactly that. This is an informal opportunity to hear her and Captain Rajveer's side of the story before deciding whether she should be allowed to stay in the academy or not."

The very idea of them deciding whether she could stay or not made Raj's blood boil but he remained quiet, knowing that this was probably the best way of resolving the issue successfully. All he could hope for was that Naina would come through this with her self-confidence intact. If they broke her then he would never forgive them, and nor would he ever give up until he had put the pieces back together again.

"And so what excuse do you have for bringing her to the academy in the first place without revealing who she really was?" Brigadier Chandook asked Captain Rajveer, deciding to start with him.

"Sir, if you recall then it was you who requested me to bring my wife here," Raj answered him, "In fact you practically ordered me to otherwise I would lose my post here. If I didn't want to reveal who Naina was, then it was for her happiness, to allow her to live in peace here without rumours or accusations."

"What I don't understand," Major Bhargav interjected, "Is what Captain Rajveer, as a loyal soldier of this country, had to gain by marrying her in the first place. Well… apart from the obvious of course."

Raj clenched his fist, unable to control his anger at the statement. This man had no right, no right to be saying anything to Naina. Raj knew that he was purposefully trying to hurt her, to upset her so that she would become angry. He just hoped that Naina didn't fall for the tactic.

"You're right, he had absolutely nothing to gain by marrying me," Naina replied, her voice breaking slightly, "He compromised his reputation, his career, everything that he'd worked hard for, and why? To protect his best friend's family, a friend who had already been declared a traitor."

Major Bhargav rolled his eyes, "Oh how wonderful, how mahan. Captain Rajveer sacrificed his own happiness in order to spare you from ruin. Well why don't you spare me the fake sob story and admit that you married him for ulterior motives in order to find a way to infiltrate the army."

"You're partially right again," Naina admitted quietly, not reacting to the shocked faces in the room. "I did marry him for ulterior motives. I married him because it was the only way to save my family from the despair and humiliation we had faced."

She locked eyes with Raj, and he could see the pain clearly written in her face, he shook his head as if to tell her that she didn't have to do this, didn't have to bare her soul in front of so many people, but Naina was determined. She wasn't going to stop now.

"After Navin Bhaiyya's death everybody abandoned us, everybody." Naina told them, "Friends, even family, nobody wanted to know us, and nobody wanted to help us. We were completely alone. My brother was the one who was declared a traitor, but even after he died, it was us who continued to serve the sentence."

"My father was diagnosed with cancer," Naina continued, "And we barely even managed to pay the bills, we ended up mortgaging our house to do so. My mother took up a job and even I considered leaving my studies but they wouldn't allow me to. My father suffered in pain and nobody came even once to ask about his health, and everyday his worry grew about what would happen to my mother and me after his death."

Naina suddenly stopped, and Raj knew that she was wavering, not sure whether to continue or not. It was the first time that she was talking about these things at such length, and that too in front of a room full of strangers.

"Do you know what type of things we faced? Do you know what it was like to be asked how much a traitor's sister costs? To be asked whether…" Naina asked them, trembling now. "I know what it's like, and I know what I went through every single day, every time that I had to leave the house."

Raj ached for her, he ached to reach out and touch her, to comfort her. He couldn't believe that she had never told him this, but he knew that in her own way she was trying to protect him from the knowledge. He wished that he could make everybody who had ever hurt her pay for what they'd done but he knew that it wasn't possible. It all made sense now, the way that she had kept her head down when they first met, refusing to meet his eyes. She must have grown used to it, having to avoid people's eyes, trying to avoid their attention, their taunts.

"It was two years after Navin Bhaiyya's death when Rajveer came to the house to check on us, to find out how our family was coping." Naina continued, having calmed herself. "He saw the state we were in, and he asked whether he could do something to help, and my father… requested him to marry me."

The room was silent, most of the occupants shocked, although Bhargav's face still had a sneer and Major Nair looked vaguely bored. 

"We got married the very next day," Naina continued, "In a way there was no other choice for both of us…neither of us could refuse my father's last wish. If we haven't told anyone the truth then can you really blame us? Don't you think I'd hoped that after marriage I could leave the past behind… begin again. But no matter what, somehow it always catches up with me."

Glancing at the faces around her, Naina saw shock on most of them, including Brigadier Chandook's. She wondered whether he'd ever bothered to think about what happened to the families of those who were accused of being traitors before, whether it had ever mattered to him. Perhaps today for the first time he had realised that the innocent suffered alongside those who were perceived as guilty, that even justice turned into injustice for the unlucky.

"Yes, well…" Major Bhargav started to say, but Raj cut across him before he could finish the sentence.

"I think that Naina has explained our situation well enough, in fact I think there's nothing left for either of us to say. Now, if you'll excuse us, I'm not going to subject her to any more of this. You can make any decision that you see fit, but I don't believe that either of us have done anything to be ashamed of." He told them in a steely voice, one which would accept no opposition. Then reaching out he took Naina's hand, and she followed him out of the room and towards their quarters.

"You did very well today," he told her once they were inside, "I'm so proud of you."

But Naina didn't answer, instead she just kept standing there, clutching his hand so tightly that her knuckles had begun turning white, trying to frame the words that she had so far been unable to say, the words that she could not say in that room, at that time…

Raj knew that she was trying to express something, trying to work up the courage to tell him something and so he stayed silent, waiting for her to be ready.

"Rajveer… I…. whatever I said today, about why I married you…."

"You don't need to worry, Naina," he reassured her, "You told the truth and I admire you for that. We both know that we didn't get married under the best circumstances."

"But I… I wanted to tell you…." And making up her mind, she dropped his hand, only to bring her own up to frame either side of his face. Raj raised his own hands to cover hers with them, pressing her slender fingers against his cheeks.

"I wanted to tell you," she whispered, more sure of herself as she looked into his eyes, "That I do love you… I really do."

Raj felt his heart leap with joy because he had been waiting for this, waiting for it longer than he could possibly express. Perhaps he'd been waiting ever since the day he met her, the day he found out that they would be getting married. He wanted to pick her up and twirl her around, and laugh for joy.

Instead he slowly lifted her hands off his cheeks with his own, before pressing a kiss onto both of her palms.

"Naina, you have no idea how much I love you," he told her, and her eyes began shining with unshed tears. "And I promise today, that no matter what, I will always love you, I will always be by your side and I will always protect you."

As Naina burst into happy tears, Raj crushed her to him, showering feather light kisses on her face. Naina reached up to comb her fingers through his hair, and unable to stop himself, Raj kissed her on the lips gently, and he imagined… that this was what heaven must feel like. He stopped himself from deepening the kiss, knowing that now was not the time… that for today, this was enough.

It was more than he ever could have hoped for.

It was then that there was a knock on the door, and reluctantly leaving her, Raj crossed the room to open it. Shalini was standing there, and for a moment the expression on her face was unreadable until she broke into a grin.

"The decision has been made," she told him, "Brigadier Chandook agreed that Naina has already suffered enough. She'll be staying here with us."

Finally allowing himself to do what he wished, Raj picked Naina up and twirled her around, laughing with joy.

Because now, nothing in this world could separate him from his wife.

/

The ringing of the phone woke him up at five am, and Raj carefully moved towards it, trying not to wake up a sleeping Naina who mumbled something into his chest.

Picking it up, he glanced down at her before quietly answering 'Hello'.

"I wonder if you'll even know my voice anymore." The person on the other end of the line said.

"Who is this?" Raj asked, still only half awake and trying to recognise the strangely familiar voice.

"There you go, Rajveer Singh Shekawat has forgotten his friends… so much happened, and you never once called up to tell me."

Suddenly it clicked in Raj's mind, the voice, his friend… "Chauhan… it's you?" he asked in disbelief, "It's been such a long time… too long."

"You're right about that, we should never have lost touch."

"So you've heard already then," Raj replied, resignation in his voice, "That was quick."

"Raj, everybody has heard." Abhimanyu told him. "Within minutes of BC finding out, practically the entirety of headquarters knew."

"Typical," Raj muttered, "I know you must be annoyed at me for not telling you Chauhan, but I'm willing to explain everything. When can we have a proper chat?"

"Tomorrow." Abhimanyu told him, "We'll talk about it properly then."

"Okay, so what time should I call you then?" Raj asked him, "Or will you be calling me?"

"Oh neither one of us needs to call the other." Abhimanyu told him, "I'm coming to KMA… I just received my transfer orders late last night."


	24. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty Three

"Was I having a dream or were you talking to somebody on the phone early this morning?" Naina asked Raj as she combed her hair, before plaiting it in preparation for the day ahead.

"No you weren't having a dream, my old friend Abhimanyu called me up this morning." Raj told her, a contented smile on his face as he watched her.

"And what did he say, was he angry at you for not telling him about the wedding?"

"Well, we'll find out tomorrow because he's coming to KMA, he's been transferred here." Raj informed her, and Naina looked up, pausing in mid motion.

"Why would they be transferring him now?" she asked, "You don't think it has anything to do with us, do you?"

"I think that it's very likely it could have everything to do with us." Raj admitted, "But I trust Abhi… I know he'll tell us the truth about why he's here when he arrives."

Naina resumed plaiting her hair, and Raj noticed that when she had paused a few strands had escaped. Moving to sit beside her, he tucked them back into her plait deftly, his fingers then smoothing down her hair. Trailing his fingers down until they were brushing her neck, he leaned over and gently kissed her cheek, lingering for a few moments before he moved his face away.

Naina blushed, not really sure how she should be acting around him now that she'd admitted her feelings. He didn't appear in any great hurry to take things further which relieved her greatly, but the small gestures of love that he expressed made her heart beat faster and her senses hum.

They heard the door opening and both looked around to see Sherry walk into the room.

"You still haven't learned to knock." Raj told her.

She just shrugged, "If you don't want people walking in then you should learn to lock the door, how am I supposed to know if anything private is going on?"

Raj just shook his head, knowing that there was no point trying to reason with Sherry on this issue. "What was it that you wanted?" he asked her, "Is anything the matter?"

"No, not really." Sherry told him, "Actually I wanted to ask you a question."

"Well ask away."

"Has the great Lala Saheb called you yet? I mean, has he actually found out the truth?" and Raj swore that there was a smile hovering around her lips.

"Why are you so excited to find out?" he asked, "And no, he hasn't called… He's probably overseas, I expect I'll definitely get a call when he comes back." And for once, he was not looking forward to having a conversation with his godfather.

And Sherry grinned, "Make sure that when he calls somebody comes and informs me, I would love to hear that conversation. Actually I have to thank you Bhaiyya, it's probably the biggest shock that my father has received in years and I can't wait to hear how he tries to deal with all his dreams for you being ruined."

Naina and Raj both stared at her in shock, unable to believe that she was so happy about this.

"Sherry… you shouldn't be saying that about your father." Raj told her disapprovingly and Sherry's entire attitude changed in a moment.

"I'll say whatever I want about him, I'm the one who's had to live with him all these years." Sherry replied angrily. "Anyway, I had actually come to tell you both that I've swapped rooms and am now with Pooja, since it wasn't really the right time to discuss it yesterday."

"Thank you for letting us know," Naina told her, trying to calm things down, "I'm glad you'll be with Pooja, she's a sweet girl and she'll be a good room mate for you."

Raj was thankful to Naina for trying to distract Sherry from his earlier comment, and aware that he was about to lose valuable ground with her, he decided to change the topic.

"Sherry, you remember my friend Abhimanyu, right?" he asked her.

"Bhaiyya, as far as I remember you only ever really had two friends, both of whom I've met, so when I remember one then why wouldn't I remember the other?" she asked him sarcastically, "Anyway, why do I need to remember Abhimanyu?"

"Because he's coming to KMA, he's just been transferred here." Raj informed her.

"Well good for him," Sherry replied, picking up an apple from the fruit bowl and biting into it, "What am I supposed to do about it?"

"Absolutely nothing," Raj told her, "I just thought it would be good to let you know in advance."

"Well thanks for the heads up, Bhaiyya, and now that you two know where you can find me, I'm off to class."

"I really messed that one up, didn't I?" Raj asked Naina once Sherry was gone.

"Don't worry about it too much," Naina tells him, "Sherry will be fine, I think we just have to avoid discussing her father as much as possible."

Raj nodded, it certainly did seem like the best option for now.

/

The cadets were taking a break from Major Nair's drill when Yudi announced the news which he had heard from Dr. Shalini while in the infirmary that morning.

"I heard we're going to have a new teacher, guys." Yudi announced to them, "He's arriving tomorrow."

"Yet another one to make us dance to their tunes…" Huda commented, sounding bored. "Well they'd better not try and tame this Jat or they'll regret it."

"Well do we know who the incoming call is and what messages they'll be sending to our inboxes?" Pooja asked, and everybody except one of them shrugged their denial.

"His name is Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan, but I have no idea what he'll be teaching us." Sherry suddenly spoke up and the others all looked at her in surprise.

"How did you find out?" Yudi asked her, looking impressed, "Even Dr. Shalini wasn't sure who it was."

"Bhaiyya told me," Sherry replied, "He's his old friend and batchmate, I met him a long time ago."

"Arre wah, so finally our angry young woman has decided to share some information with her batchmates." Huda drawled in his usual style, "Why are you only telling us about some boring teacher, tell us something about yourself too, darling."

Sherry fixed him with a very no nonsense gaze before smiling sweetly, throwing Huda off guard. "If you're so eager to know then why don't you ask my Bhaiyya?" she suggested, "I'm sure he would be more than happy to tell you." As the rest of them start to laugh at Huda's expression, she walked off, heading back towards the drill.

Huda watched her go, a smile coming to his face, because this girl would be a challenge… and Huda liked challenges.

/

The next day Raj was waiting outside the academy checking his watch, as far as he knew his friend, Abhimanyu would turn up exactly on time.

Sure enough a car appeared at the gates, making its way to the front of the academy and Raj smiled as he saw a familiar figure step out. They hadn't seen each other for more than a year, and he embraced Abhimanyu warmly before holding him at arms length to get a proper look at him.

"I think your hair has grown even longer since the last time I saw you." Raj commented and Abhimanyu grinned.

"It's my camouflage," he told Raj, "From the way I look nobody would ever expect me to be a hardened soldier."

"Well you're certainly right about that," Raj joked and laughing, Abhimanyu put his arm around Raj's shoulders as they walked inside, the orderlies carrying Abhimanyu's luggage in.

Raj took Abhi to his and Naina's room before he started making him some tea.

"So where's your wife?" Abhimanyu asked, looking around the room expectantly.

"Chauhan Saheb, my wife has better things to do than sit around the house all day waiting for you, she's at college." Raj told him, an affectionate smile coming to his face at the thought of Naina.

"Well what time does she get home?" Abhimanyu asked him impatiently, "I've been waiting to meet her ever since I found out."

"Have some patience my friend," Raj told him, "She should be home by four thirty at the latest." Wandering into the bedroom, he came out with the wedding photo that sat near their bedside, passing it to his friend.

Abhi examined it for a long time, a smile on his face before he finally returned it to Raj. "You both look very serious."

"We were… it was quite a serious day." Raj admitted, "We barely knew each other and the circumstances at the time…"

"You did the right thing," Abhimanyu told him seriously, "I'm ashamed to think that not once during these years did I ever check how Navin's family were coping, I only ever thought about my own grief. But you… you carried out your duties of friendship properly."

"It was the right decision," Raj agreed with him, "At the time all I knew was that I couldn't refuse, that I couldn't abandon them, but now…"

"You are happy, aren't you?" Abhi asked him, genuinely concerned, "And she is, too?"

Raj smiled, a smile that lit up his entire face, a smile that could leave Abhimanyu in no doubt as to what the answer was.

"So Rajveer Singh Shekawat has finally fallen properly in love." Abhi teased him. "I had expected when I arrived you would both need to be cheered up after what's happened but I can see that you're perfectly fine."

"I'm more than fine, as long as she's with me… I love her Abhi, I really do." Raj told him sincerely, "Marrying Naina was the best thing that could ever have happened to me."

"Then I'm genuinely happy for you my friend, and for her as well." Abhimanyu clapped Raj on the back and they smiled at each other.

"So tell me what it is you're doing here, I know you haven't come to KMA just to enquire about my married life."

"I've been posted at KMA as the new music teacher, I'll also be taking some of the drills." Abhi informed him.

"And?" Raj asked expectantly, knowing that that couldn't be the full reason.

"And… from today I'm also joining you in extra duties," Abhimanyu told him carefully, "It's my job to help you protect the triggers."

"Ah," Raj's jaw tightened, he knew perfectly well what was going on. "So then they've lost their trust in me."

Abhimanyu looked uncomfortable, knowing how Raj might be feeling at that moment. "I think there's been some pressure from above after the truth was revealed…" he tried to explain, "But I know that Colonel Shakti has no doubts about your integrity."

"Have they asked you to watch me too?" Raj asked, "What exactly are your orders?"

Abhimanyu nodded, looking embarrassed to have to admit it. "They did ask me to keep an eye on you and Naina and report anything suspicious. I think they thought that being your old friend you would trust me, be more likely to let your guard down around me. Don't worry, I'll tell them that you're the same honest officer you've always been and that Naina is the sweetest girl I've ever met."

"You haven't even met Naina yet," Raj pointed out, a smile hovering on his lips due to both Abhimanyu's words and his honesty.

"That doesn't matter." Abhimanyu answered, "She's our Navin's sister, how can she be anything other than sweet?"

"I've really missed you, yaar." Raj admitted, "So many times I wanted to tell you about our marriage, so many times I almost did."

"It doesn't matter," Abhi told him, "I'm here now and I'm sure that if Navin could see us together right now he would be smiling."

Raj smiled too, because he was sure that Abhimanyu was right.

/

Abhi had just exited Brigadier Chandook's office after reporting for duty when he ran into a cadet, colliding with them.

However unlike most cadets who would apologise immediately, she just stood there, one hand on her hip, looking him up and down. The first thing he noticed about her was the bright red streaks through her hair.

"Nice hair, cadet." He told her, "But don't you think it's a bit unsuitable for the army?"

"I could say exactly the same thing to you." She responded, completely unbothered by his comment.

"Do you usually speak like this to your superior officers?" he asked, not sure if he should be amused or offended.

"You don't recognise me, do you?" she asked him with one raised eyebrow, "I suppose that Bhaiyya forgot to mention that I was here."

"Who's 'bhaiyya' and where am I supposed to be recognising you from?" Abhimanyu asked, now quite confused.

"Well, 'bhaiyya' happens to be your best friend and we have met twice before now." Sherry informed him, waiting for realisation to dawn.

Abhimanyu finally looked at her properly, trying to remember what Raj's sister had looked like the last time he had seen her.

"You're Sherry?" he asked, with a tone of slight disbelief, "I can't recognise you at all, you've changed so much since I last saw you."

"Yes people generally do call me by that name." Sherry replied, "And considering that it's been more than five years of course I've changed, I would like to think that I've developed a certain sense of style since then."

"And you're a cadet here now?" Abhimanyu asked her.

"No, I just thought I'd come and visit and dress up in the uniform for fun." Sherry told him, completely deadpan.

Abhimanyu finally decided that he was definitely amused rather than offended.

"So Miss Sherry Gehlot has become a KMA Cadet," he commented, "But why is it that I feel you're still trying to rebel against something?"

"And what makes you think there's only one thing that I'm rebelling against?" Sherry asked him, "Maybe it's the whole world I have a problem with… or maybe my problem is only with myself." She turned to go without explaining her comment before turning back abruptly. "Welcome to KMA… Sir." She told him before disappearing around the corner.

Abhimanyu stared after her, a bit bemused. Because if all current KMA cadets were like her then he had no idea how this semester was going to turn out.

/

Ritu finished her phone call and hung up, a satisfied smile on her face.

Right now she was one of only three people within KMA that knew the real purpose of the arrival of Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan here.

Well that was fine by her, Ritu was perfectly willing to change her plans. In fact, perhaps a change of plans was exactly what she needed.

Whoever she used to get her work done, the outcome would still be the same.

Whether Captain Rajveer or his friend, eventually… one of them would fall into her trap.


	25. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty Four

After settling into his quarters, Abhimanyu checked his watch and returned to Raj and Naina's room, knocking before he entered. Raj had only returned from a drill ten minutes beforehand and so was in the process of getting changed when he opened the door, still buttoning his shirt up.

He stepped aside to let Abhimanyu in and his friend settled on the couch.

"So how has your first day back at KMA been so far?" Raj asked, "Have you met any of the other faculty members yet?"

"No, but I did meet your sister." Abhimanyu told him, "I didn't recognise her at first she's changed so much. She's very…."

As the pause stretched on, Raj wondered whether he should help Abhimanyu to find the right adjective, but there were so many that could be used to describe Sherry that he had no idea where to start.

"Complicated." Abhi finally completed his sentence and Raj thought that he'd chosen exactly the right word.

"Yes, she certainly is that." He agreed, "I completely forgot to tell you that she was here, Lala Saheb admitted her at Diwali."

Abhi nodded but didn't ask any questions, looking down at his watch again instead.

"So where is she?" he asked, "It's almost four thirty."

Raj laughed at his friend's impatience, "Trust me yaar, she'll be back very soon. Since I had a drill this afternoon, somebody will have gone to pick her up from college."

They didn't have to wait long because five minutes later, the door opened and Naina walked in, carrying her bag and looking tired after a long day at college. Noticing Abhimanyu only when she was already halfway inside the room, she crossed to Raj's side, standing slightly behind him with her eyes downcast.

Raj ached for her, knowing that the recent experience had erased much of the self confidence that he had worked so hard to build up in her. Taking her hand, he entwined his fingers with hers, and gave her a reassuring smile as Naina fidgeted slightly with her dupatta with her spare hand.

"Naina, this is Abhimanyu," he introduced them, "He, Navin and I used to create all kinds of mischief together in our KMA days."

Naina looked up at Abhi, giving him a small smile and a quiet hello.

"You have no idea how excited I am to meet you," he told her brightly, "I've been asking Raj when you would come home ever since I arrived this morning. Do you know how much I'm reminded of Navin, seeing you? You have exactly the same eyes." Naina smiled slightly wider at this, losing some of her shyness when she heard him talk about her brother.

"I don't remember Navin ever having eyes this beautiful." Raj remarked without thinking and Abhi grinned at him.

"I was right, you really are well and truly gone." He joked, "I'm telling you, Naina, I can't believe he's the same person who would barely even speak to girls during our academy days. You've definitely worked some magic on him."

Naina relaxed more, made comfortable by Abhimanyu's joking and friendliness and stopped looking downwards, loosening her grip slightly on Raj, but not removing her hand. He smoothed the top of her hand comfortingly with his thumb, wanting to let her know that she had nothing to fear.

"You'll have to tell me some stories about Navin Bhaiyya and Raj." Naina said quietly, "It would be good to hear some new ones."

"Oh I definitely will," Abhi agreed, "But I'll have to wait until Raj isn't around or he won't let me tell the really funny ones."

"Don't you dare," Raj warned him jokingly, "I don't want to have my image spoiled in front of my wife."

Abhimanyu gave him a sly grin and they both started laughing, even Naina had a small, happy smile on her face by now. Raj thought that it was lucky his old friend was sent here, because his lively personality was exactly what was needed to break Naina out of her shock.

"So what are your plans for the rest of the afternoon?" he asked Abhi, "Are you already settled in?"

"Well I thought I would go and say hi to Suriji soon otherwise he'll never forgive me." Abhi replied, "After that I'm free for the rest of the evening."

"Well we could go out to dinner tonight." Raj suggested, "That way we can catch up before you start your classes and you and Naina can get to know each other properly."

"Maybe we could take Sherry too," Naina added, "It would do her good to get out of the academy and go out with us."

"Of course, if she hasn't been given another detention." Raj replied matter of factly.

"Does she get detentions often?" Abhi asked, not quite able to believe that she was the same bubbly, friendly girl he had met all those years ago.

"Oh every few days," Raj replied, "It depends on the type of mood she's in."

"Am I going to have to give her detentions too?" Abhimanyu asked, sounding a bit worried, "I mean I've never even been a teacher before, I don't know about giving out detentions, especially to your sister."

"Don't worry," Raj reassured him, "I hardly ever give our detentions or punishments, and most of the ones Sherry receives are from Major Nair."

"Ah well, we both have some experience of that, don't we?" Abhimanyu joked with him, and Raj shook his head slightly at the memories. "Anyway I'll go and see Suriji, you make the plan for dinner and we'll meet later tonight."

Raj and Naina agreed and he headed out the door towards the mess.

/

Abhi had just finished catching up with Suriji and had turned to go when he collided with somebody clad in a sari.

"I'm very sorry," he apologised without taking a proper look at her, "It was completely my fault."

"Oh no, of course it wasn't." She replied in a silky voice, smoothing her hair back from her face, "I think we were both a little to blame. I'm Dr. Ritu Mishra, the academy's psychiatrist." She held out her hand and he shook it, thinking that none of the faculty from his days at the academy were ever this glamorous.

"Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan," he introduced himself, "I've only just been posted here."

"I know," Ritu replied smoothly, "I found out you were coming yesterday. Hopefully we'll have the opportunity to work together."

Abhimanyu was just about to answer her when he saw Sherry standing in front of them, looking tired and sweaty, one hand on her hip and an annoyed, expectant look on her face.

"Yes?" he asked her.

"You're blocking my way to the counter." She told him bluntly, "Either I get something to eat and drink right now or I collapse on the ground."

Abhimanyu moved out of the way, trying not to look amused, and she brushed past the two of them, a disdainful look on her face as she glanced in Ritu's direction.

Ritu sniffed, trying hard to hide her dislike. "Well I'll see you later then, Captain," she said. "Hopefully soon."

"Oh please doctor, call me Abhimanyu." Abhi told her.

"Only if you call me Ritu." She replied, and smiling at him she walked out of the mess.

Sherry stood there with a mug of chai in one hand and a plate of snacks in the other, looking like she honestly was about to collapse on the floor. "So you met the shrink."

Abhimanyu decided that it was probably best to ignore that comment and sympathetically pulled out a chair for her, which she slumped into. "What happened to you?" he asked, noticing that she looked much more tired than the rest of the cadets sitting around.

"Major Nair made me run an extra five kilometres while holding a rifle." She announced, and Abhimanyu sat down in one of the spare chairs at the table.

"Why?" he asked her.

"He made a comment about the discipline of the academy when traitors' relatives were allowed to stay here. I told him that I didn't think he should be questioning his superiors' decisions." Sherry replied, taking a very long gulp of her chai.

"You really like Naina, don't you?" Abhimanyu asked her.

"Of course I do," Sherry replied matter of factly, "Naina is one of the only people that I do like. She's been kind to me since the moment I arrived no matter what I did. She never deserved any of this and I'm not going to allow anybody to say crap about her."

"Good," Abhi agreed, "Because I'm not going to either."

And Sherry almost smiled, almost.

"So we're all going out to dinner tonight." Abhimanyu told her, "Raj suggested it."

"Well have fun," Sherry replied, drinking more of her chai, her head drooping.

"We all means you too." Abhi continued, "So it's lucky that Major Nair didn't give you a detention instead."

"Great," Sherry commented, "At least I'll get some decent food for a change. I'm starting to feel malnourished here."

"Well enjoy the rest of your afternoon and maybe get some sleep." Abhimanyu suggested, "I'll see you at dinner." He walked off to check on the progress of setting up the music room. He had barely left the room when Huda took his place, having obviously been eavesdropping from a nearby table.

"Who was that and why are you going to dinner with him?" he asked with a twinge of jealousy.

"Well you know I always like to go to dinner with my teachers, I think it really helps to improve my grades." Sherry told him sarcastically, "That was Captain Abhimanyu and obviously you missed him saying 'we all' meaning that Bhaiyya and Bhabhi are going as well."

"Well can I come too?" Huda asked her flirtatiously, "You know you'll enjoy the evening more if I'm there."

"I'm sure I'll enjoy seeing you explaining to Bhaiyya exactly why you should be coming to dinner with us." Sherry told him, and Huda suddenly paled at the thought. She drained her cup of chai and headed off to her room for a nap before he could say anything else, leaving him staring after her.

/

Raj had just finished telling Naina about Major Bhargav's departure earlier in the day when the door opened. He didn't even need to look up to know who it was, there was only one person who always came in without knocking.

"I heard we're going to dinner tonight." Sherry announced, "Is it anywhere fancy?"

"Why?" Raj asked her.

"Because I have nothing to wear except for old pairs of jeans and t-shirts." She told him, "I wanted to let you know in case you're too embarrassed to take me."

"Don't worry," Naina replied, "I'll give you something to wear."

Sherry gave her a very doubtful look. "No offense, Naina, but I think our styles are completely different."

"Well you can try something different for the night." Naina gestured for Sherry to follow her, "Come with me and we'll select something."

/

Half an hour later, Sherry was dressed in one of Naina's salwar kameez's, a look of discomfit on her face.

"I don't know why dupattas were invented," she announced to nobody in particular, "What are they good for anyway? They just hang there uselessly and get in your way."

Raj tried not to smile and failed, which Sherry noticed, giving him a mild glare. Naina just smiled at her, reaching over to adjust Sherry's hair where she'd pinned it back. However no matter how much she had tried to convince her, the girl had refused to wear any make up. Her work done, Naina perched on the arm of the sofa Raj was sitting on. Finding she was at a good height for him to do so, he wrapped one arm around her waist, leaning his head against her arm while he regarded his sister still trying to work out what to do with her dupatta.

"Good job, Naina." He told her, and she smiled down at him, placing one arm around his shoulders. Unable to help himself, Raj snaked his other arm around her waist into a loose hug.

There was a soft knock at the door and Raj called out for the person to come in, still with his head leaning against Naina's side. Abhimanyu walked in, saw the two of them together and smiled.

"You two really are an incredibly sweet pair." He told them, as Naina started to get embarrassed to be found in that position, nudging Raj slightly in an effort to get him to stop hugging her.

"Yeah I'm getting diabetes here," Sherry commented, still fiddling with her dupatta. "Can we go and get dinner now so that I can change out of this outfit as soon as possible?"

Abhimanyu just stared at her, taking in her changed appearance. "You look familiar." He joked, "Have we met before?"

"Well I'm glad to see that I'm so memorable that you've forgotten me twice in the same day." Sherry told him as Naina moved to her side, taking the dupatta and draping it, indicating to Sherry with a gesture that she should leave it alone from now on.

They walked towards the front of the academy and Sherry groaned when they ran into the five cadets in the hallway, not wanting anybody to see her like this.

"Wow Sherry, what a great new cover you've got on today." Pooja gushed, "I never knew your ringtone could be like this."

"Don't get so excited Pooja, this is a very temporary change of ringtone." Sherry informed her dryly.

"Oh why not make it permanent," Huda drawled, "Looking like this you don't need to learn to fight, the enemy will automatically sacrifice their lives for you."

"How wonderful," Sherry told him, "Until it starts happening why don't you do me a favour and set them an example by sacrificing yourself right now." She stalked off in the direction of the jeep before anybody could say anything else.

Raj wondered whether he should get Huda in trouble for flirting with his sister in front of him, but he was sure that Sherry was more than able to handle herself.

"Cadets, I don't believe you've met Captain Abhimanyu yet." Raj told them, "He'll be your new music teacher and also be assisting with your drills."

They all said hello politely, Pooja with a slightly dreamy look in her eyes and Huda with a slightly annoyed one.

"Ay hai," she remarked when Raj, Naina and Abhimanyu had also left, "So we've finally got a new hero in the academy to join Veer, and he's so cute!"

Ali looked uncomfortable at this comment but didn't say anything, staring down at his feet instead.

"Well I don't like that jhabreela one bit." Huda remarked, obviously still annoyed at Sherry's reply to him, "Instead of him going to dinner with them it should be me."

"Why? Are you Captain Rajveer's old batchmate and best friend?" Yudi asked him sarcastically.

"No but I am his sister's future boyfriend." Huda remarked confidently, pulling his collar up.

"Yeah right, she can't stand you." Yudi pointed out, "I've got more of a chance with her than you do, even Ali has more of a chance with her than you do."

"I don't want a chance with her, Yudibhai!" Ali told him quickly, glancing sideways at Pooja.

"Just wait and see, Yudi!" Huda told him, "Sooner or later she'll be mine, no girls can escape from Huda's charms."

But all Yudi could do was stare at Huda in disbelief.

Because he honestly had no idea whatsoever exactly what he was getting himself into.


	26. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

Dinner had gone well except for Sherry glaring in the direction of any fellow diners who made the mistake of staring at her while she constantly tried to adjust her dupatta. Eventually sick of it, she took it off and hung it on the back of her chair while she ate. The rest of them wisely decided not to comment although Naina hid a small smile.

The conversation had been light so far, as Raj and Abhimanyu talked about their academy days, discussing various pranks they had pulled along with Navin, and then moving on to talk about what they had each done in the year or so since they had seen each other. Abhimanyu also made sure to find out about Naina's college from her, how her studies had been progressing up until this point and how long she still had until she finished. Sherry had mainly been quiet, concentrating on eating her dinner as if she hadn't had any proper food for months.

"So what did you two really think about each other the first time you met?" Abhimanyu asked them, "I know your marriage happened rather quickly… but did my charming friend manage to win you over in the first meeting, Naina?"

Raj smiled at this, shaking his head slightly at the memory. "She barely looked at me the first time we met." He told Abhimanyu, "I was worried that she hated me, or at the very least that she was extremely uninterested in me."

"I was shy…" Naina defended herself, looking a little embarrassed, "I couldn't be expected to keep gazing at you the first time we met."

"Why not?" Raj asked her with a grin, "I did."

Naina blushed, and Abhimanyu laughed. Even Sherry had a small smile on her face.

"You did not," Naina countered, "You barely looked at me until Baba asked you to marry me."

"I was trying to be polite…" It was Raj's turn to defend himself, "I could hardly come to your parents' house for the first time under such circumstances and spend all my time staring at their daughter. But I definitely did look at you, and that one time you looked up at me…"

They both stopped, lost in the memories, and Raj reached out to take her hand, holding it beneath the table.

"And you got married the next day?" Sherry asked them, "Did you even talk to each other?"

"Well… no." Raj admitted, "In fact we never actually had a proper conversation until Naina arrived at KMA."

Then he realised that he might have revealed too much, and looked a bit embarrassed.

Sherry suddenly got a mischievous look on her face, and unable to help herself decided to ask the question. "So when are you taking Bhabhi for a proper honeymoon then?"

Naina turned bright red and Raj started coughing, just adding to both Sherry and Abhimanyu's amusement.

"Well you know… I have my duty at KMA right now… and Naina can't miss any college…" Raj started making excuses.

"We'll go eventually," Naina added hurriedly, "At the right time."

"Well where are you going to go?" Sherry asked, "At least choose a place."

"Well where would you go?" Naina asked her, unable to think of any options since this was honestly the first time she'd ever thought of a honeymoon.

Sherry laughed at this, "You want advice from me for where to go on a honeymoon? I'm never even going to get married."

"Why not?" Naina asked her, "Surely you will eventually."

Sherry just laughed even more, "Any boy my father would choose for me I would end up murdering, as for normal boys none of them are able to keep up with me."

"Thank god…" Raj muttered, "I would hate to have to try and scare male cadets away from you."

Sherry snorted, "Don't worry Bhaiyya, I'm perfectly capable of scaring them away all by myself."

"And I'm thankful for that every day." Raj told her honestly, "I'm glad that my sister is capable of looking after herself."

"I got into the habit a long time ago," she replied, and the smile that Sherry gave him was so sad, that for a moment he was entirely taken aback.

"It's nearly time for lights out, shall we head back to the academy?" Naina suggested and they gathered their things, Naina not insisting this time that Sherry wear her dupatta.

/

The drive back to the academy was uneventful, and once they arrived, Sherry headed to her room straight away, telling Naina that she would return the salwar kameez in the morning. Abhi also headed off to his own quarters and Raj and Naina entered their room, Raj remembering to lock the door behind them.

"You know I could take you somewhere if you like… for a honeymoon," he told her suddenly, and she realised he must have been thinking about it the entire way back to the academy. "It might be two years after our wedding but it's never too late."

Naina thought carefully before she answered, her eyes slightly down with embarrassment and a small smile on her face, "I think I would like that…" she replied, "Not now… with my college and your mission… but… maybe soon."

Raj took a deep breath because he perfectly understood that her saying 'maybe soon' not only related to her college and his duty, but also to the way that she was beginning to feel about him.

Taking a step towards her, he took both of her hands in his, smoothing his thumbs over the top of her hands.

"It doesn't have to be soon…" he told Naina gently, "Everything will happen at the right time."

Her eyes still down, a small smile on her face, she leaned forward so that her head was now resting against his chest, her hair obscuring her face. Raising his hands, Raj brushed her hair back behind her ears, smoothing it gently.

"How can you be so patient with me?" Naina asked him, and he tilted her head up so that she was now looking at him.

"Because I love you." He replied simply, "And as far as patience is concerned… we have the rest of our lives ahead of us."

She looked back at him with such an expression of quiet love, that he couldn't resist leaning down to kiss her, trying to keep it gentle, soft and undemanding. But when Naina responded, kissing him back only slightly hesitantly, he couldn't help but deepen it.

He had just wound his arms around her waist when she suddenly broke away.

"What is it?" he asked her, confused. "Was it too fast?"

"No, no." Naina reassured him, "It's just… did you lock the door?"

Raj started laughing, realising she was worried about Sherry's tendency to walk in unannounced.

"Yes," he told her, "I did lock the door." And bringing his face back down to hers, he kissed her again, his hands settling on her hips as hers wound around his neck. He was careful not to take things too far, resisting the urge to let his hands wander or to deepen the kiss too much. He knew that he should take things slowly with her, allowing them to proceed at a pace she was comfortable with.

Eventually he broke away from her, and Naina once again leaned her head against his chest, a contented sigh escaping her lips. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, hugging her to him.

After changing and climbing into bed, he settled them so that he had cocooned her back, one arm around her waist, the other under her neck and wrapped around her, bringing her even closer to him. He rested his head in the crook of her neck, kissing her there gently before his eyes closed.

As long as she remained with him this way, he could be as patient as was needed.

/

Naina had already left for college the next morning when his phone rang and checking the number, Raj sighed, knowing what was probably going to be ahead, before he answered it.

"Hello Lalasaheb," he told the man on the other end politely.

"Raj I just arrived back in the country and heard the news this morning," Gehlot began, a strict note in his voice, "How could so much have happened and you never told me?"

"I never told anybody," Raj replied, hoping that he would be able to explain himself calmly and logically, "The circumstances at the time were such…. We thought it would be better to wait and hope that nobody found out until I could prove Navin's innocence."

"Really there's a limit to sacrificing yourself, Raj… didn't you think before making this decision?" Lala asked him, a disappointed tone in his voice, "You've thrown away your entire life, your career, in order to do what you saw as a duty of friendship."

"I don't think I've thrown anything away, Lala Saheb," Raj told him, "I'm actually very happy with Naina, I know that the marriage was a hasty decision… but it has turned out well in the end."

"How has it turned out well?" Lala asked him, frustration in his voice, "Do you know what type of things are being said about you in headquarters? Do you realise that your career will now be stalled because of this?"

"Honestly it doesn't matter to me," Raj replied, "I know you're disappointed for my sake, but I also know that what I did was right. I don't regret my decision."

He heard a noise at the doorway and saw Sherry standing there, Naina's salwar kameez in her hands and a strange look on her face.

"It's my father, isn't it?" she asked, and Raj nodded.

"Then give me the phone." She told him, and without waiting for a reply, she snatched it off him.

"Hello father," she greeted Gehlot, a cold tone having settled in her voice.

Raj couldn't hear Lala's reply, but he saw Sherry's expression change, become angrier, harder.

"Don't even think about giving any more advice to Bhaiyya about his marriage," she told her father angrily, "Because I remember exactly what type of a husband you were to Ma."

It was only a one sided conversation that Raj could hear, but if possible Sherry's expression became even angrier as she listened to whatever her father was saying.

"Respect?" she asked him in a disbelieving tone, "You sent me here, I agreed to stay. Don't ask more than that from me and certainly don't ask me for respect… that needs to be earned not given. No, I don't want to listen to any more of your stupid lecture… if you can't be happy for Raj then don't even think of trying to make him unhappy…. I know perfectly well… Just go to hell!" she finally screamed into the phone, hanging it up, then throwing it at the wall.

It hit with a loud clunk, breaking apart onto the floor and Sherry stared at it.

"I'm sorry Bhaiyya," she finally told him, "I'll buy you a new phone." Raj was stunned to see tears in her eyes, it was the first time he had seen her become so emotional.

"Sherry, forget about the phone… it's fine," he reassured her, "Tell me what's wrong, why is it that you get so upset about your father? Tell me and I'll try to help."

"I'll deal with it Bhaiyya," Sherry replied quietly, "I don't need anybody's help."

And placing Naina's clothes down on a sofa, she walked calmly out of the room.

/

Abhimanyu walked into a room full of cadets, prepared to teach his first ever class. Of those gathered he recognised six, Sherry and the five other cadets that he had met the night before. The expressions of the cadets ranged from excited, to attentive, to disinterested, and just plain bored.

His gaze was drawn to Sherry, who had not responded to him walking in the room at all, even as the others had looked towards him. She was uncharacteristically quiet and seemed to be staring into space, a lost look on her face.

"Well cadets," Abhimanyu announced, "I'm Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan and I'm going to be your new music teacher. Those of you who wish to be formal can call me Captain Abhimanyu or Captain Chauhan, and those of you who would like to be friendly with me can call me Abhimanyu. Right now, you must be wondering why it is that music is going to be taught in KMA…"

He tried to explain the importance of music to them in order to break the monotony of training, to give them a way of expressing their emotions, noticing that some of them seemed to respond better than others. At the end he handed out instruments, trying to give them all pointers on how they should be holding them, deciding that that would be challenging enough for today.

Huda tried to get Sherry's attention, nudging her from where he sat in the seat next to her.

"Oy what's this guy talking about… the only tune I need is the beat of the drums for Bhangra. You and I should be on the dance floor together some time, girl, we would make beautiful music together."

But for once Sherry did not respond, staring down at her instrument as if she hadn't heard him, and confused at not receiving a comment in reply like usual, Huda just stared at her.

The bell rang and the cadets poured out of the classroom, some of them chattering excitedly about the day's lesson.

"Cadet Gehlot, would you stay behind?" Abhimanyu asked her, and Sherry looked up as if in surprise, blinking at him slightly.

"Why?" she asked, immediately defensive. "Have I done something wrong? Are you giving me detention?"

"No, not at all." He told her, taking the violin out of her hands and indicating for her to take a seat. "I noticed you were rather quiet today… is anything wrong?"

Sherry laughed at this, "Everything is wrong," she told him, "Don't you know?"

"I don't understand," Abhi replied, "What has upset you?"

"I talked to my father this morning," Sherry responded bitterly, "And after that… nothing can be right. He called, just as I knew he would, to tell Bhaiyya he made the wrong decision to marry Naina."

Abhi nodded sympathetically, even he had wondered what Lala's response would be when he eventually found out.

"That's to be expected. He's always been concerned about Raj's career."

"Oh of course he's concerned," Sherry remarked sarcastically, "He's so very concerned…." She stopped suddenly, and looked Abhi directly in the eye. "I hate him." She told Abhi, so much venom in her voice that he knew she was telling the truth.

"I know your father hasn't had much time for you Sherry," he tried telling her, gently, "And I understand how it feels… growing up I hardly ever saw my father, and every time I did, I felt as if I had disappointed him, I wasn't strong enough, wasn't brave enough, I hated violence and liked music instead… I wasn't the son he had hoped for. When I joined the army it was because of him, in order to win his approval, and even now I'm not sure if I've done so, but still... he is my father."

"That man… has no right to call himself my father." Sherry told Abhi, "He has no right to call himself anything. When has he ever been there for me? When has he ever been what he should have been…" and she stopped again, frustration clear on her face.

"Sherry, if he hasn't been there much then it's because of his work," Abhi tried to reason with her, "Even my father missed so many important events in my life due to his duties, and it took me a long time to forgive him for that."

"But your father would come if your mother was dying, wouldn't he?" Sherry asked him bluntly, "He would at least sit by her side during her last breaths."

Abhi was shocked by this statement, not having expected it. He had known that Sherry's mother had died, but…

"For those last four days she was in the hospital… I was the one who sat by her side." Sherry continued, tears now shining in her eyes, "I sat there alone, waiting for him to come, and he didn't. I can't blame Raj Bhaiyya, he was on a mission at the time, we couldn't even contact him, but my father, he could've returned, he knew, had known for months… she waited for him until the last moment, making excuses about why he hadn't come, and when he did it was only to cremate her."

And that had just been the beginning of it, after that she had had other reasons to hate him as well…

The mask that Sherry so carefully maintained slipped, and for a moment all of the pain inside her was visible on her face, so stark that Abhimanyu had no idea what to say, how he might comfort her.

"Have you ever told this to Raj?" he asked her carefully, not sure of what else to say. "I'm sure if you told him…"

"Bhaiyya has enough problems of his own," Sherry replied, shrugging, and the mask quickly back in place again. "I'm not going to burden him with mine too. I can cope, I have been for the past three years."

"You might not want to burden Raj… but I'm here to talk about it if you want to." Abhimanyu offered, not sure what else to do. "I'm definitely not a 'shrink' as you would say, I might not be able to offer good advice but I will listen."

And Sherry wavered, torn between a desire to finally talk to somebody after all these years of keeping it inside and a fear of what would happen if somebody knew… really knew….

"Thanks," she told him, and it was one of the most genuine sounding thank you's she'd said in a very long time. "But I'll be fine… I think I've done enough talking today for quite some time."

Before he could protest, she walked out of the room, blinking back angry tears, ashamed at herself for losing control so easily, for allowing her father to affect her so much.

She hated him, she hated him so much. But more than that, she hated herself.

Because she was the one who despite knowing the truth, didn't have the courage to speak it.


	27. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

"So Sherry is there anyone here at KMA that you like?" Pooja asked her room mate as they got ready in the morning, feeling that it was time for some girl talk. Well, that and Huda had asked her to find out, and it was hard to refuse him when he was at his charming best.

Sherry shot Pooja a very funny look, as if she couldn't believe that she was actually asking. "I'm not here to like people, Pooja, I'm here to 'reform myself' and 'become a better person'."

"But still…" Pooja started to say, and Sherry suddenly understood.

"Who asked you to find out? Huda? I swear if he doesn't give up and leave me alone soon then…"

Seeing that Sherry was getting angry, Pooja tried to pacify her. "I think he really likes you, he hasn't been this interested in a girl before ever."

Sherry laughed, "He doesn't like me, he sees me as a challenge, and I may be many things but I am not a trophy to be won."

Pooja looked awkward at this, knowing that Sherry was at least partially right about Huda's attitude to her.

"So Pooja, is there anyone here at KMA that you like?" Sherry asked her slyly, knowing that the Punjaben wouldn't be expecting the question back.

Pooja actually blushed, "No, no, not at all… I mean I came here to find Rohit and…"

Sherry shook her head and sighed, "Poor Ali." She remarked, waiting to see what Pooja's reaction would be.

Pooja turned an even deeper red, "What do you mean, poor Ali?" she asked her.

"Pooja if you honestly don't know what I'm talking about then there's no hope for you at all." Sherry told her, "Don't ever apply to join army intelligence."

"But he doesn't… I mean he hasn't said…"

"Ali can't even call Naina by her first name, how do you expect him to tell you how he feels?" Sherry asked her, "Whatever has to be done will have to be done by you. As for this Rohit… from what I can see he's betrayed you once already, and once somebody has betrayed you, you should never trust them again."

"Have you been betrayed by somebody?" Pooja asked her, "I mean… have you ever loved anybody?"

"Oh I've gone out with boys," Sherry told her, avoiding Pooja's first question, "Mostly to annoy my father. I've never been serious about anybody though, and usually I couldn't stand them after awhile, especially if they felt they owned me."

"Well I'm sure you'll fall in love eventually." Pooja answered brightly, "You just need to find the right boy."

"Whether I fall in love or not, one thing is for certain…" Sherry told her seriously, "I'm never getting married."

"Why? You think your husband might betray you?" Pooja asked her, concerned.

"No, I just don't think I have the right to ruin anybody else's life." Sherry replied, without a trace of humour in her voice.

Pooja stared at her, but the academy bell rang again and it was time for them to go to their classes.

/

Raj and Abhi sat together in Abhimanyu's room, documents spread out on the table.

"So we believe that the spy infiltrated recently," Raj told him, "That means that it could be any of the new staff or cadets."

"But it's also possible that they've been here for a long time already, as a sleeper." Abhi counteracted, "It was only a couple of their transmissions that were picked up recently, perhaps they just weren't careful enough but have actually been operating here for years."

"Why, who do you suspect?" Raj asked him jokingly, "Nair?"

They both laughed at this, and Abhi shook his head, "As much as I can't stand the man, I don't think we can accuse him of being anything other than extremely unpleasant and prejudiced."

"Pity," Raj joked, "Otherwise I could close the case and go on my honeymoon."

"Well don't let us stop you from going," Abhi tells him, "I'm here to guard the triggers too now, anytime you and Naina would like some time off apply for leave."

"I was just joking, yaar." Raj told his friend with a smile, "You and I are a team from now on, I won't be leaving you on your own unless I need to."

"I can't believe we lost touch for such a long time…" Abhi commented, "After Navin's death we should have been there to support each other and instead we drifted apart."

Raj knew the reason why he had avoided Abhi, it had been his guilt, his fear that his friend wouldn't understand his decision, would blame him for Navin's death. For a moment he wanted to confess everything, but stopped himself. He still didn't know how Abhi might react, and it seemed best just to let it remain a secret for the time being.

"I know," Raj agreed, "But from now on we'll be there for each other, we'll keep Navin's memories alive, bring honour to his name. I keep hoping that if we find the spy we might be able to uncover the mystery behind Navin's entrapment."

"Even I hope that," Abhimanyu replied, "You never know, we might be able to uncover some clues at KMA, something that will help."

"Let's keep trying, for the moment we'll have to remain on alert, remember that the spy could be anyone at all."

"Well except Suriji," Abhi answered with a smile, "I think we can rule Suriji off the list."

"And BC too…" Raj added, "So we suspect everyone except Suriji and BC."

"Great, I'm ready to be as suspicious as possible," Abhi grinned, "But today I think you should take the night off from suspicion and take your wife out somewhere."

"Why?" Raj asked him, "Do I need to be suspicious about why you want me to go?"

"No, you need to go out and have a nice time… honestly, how often have you two been out anywhere on your own since she arrived?" Abhi asked him.

Raj had to admit, that the answer was 'not many'.

"Fine," he told Abhi, "Then you're on duty for tonight and Naina and I will go see a movie."

Abhi clapped him on the shoulder and Raj grinned, thinking that really, he was incredibly glad that he had finally gotten his best friend back.

/

Aalekh, Pooja, Ali and Sherry had already sat down to begin lunch when Huda and Yudi came over with their plates. Huda immediately headed for the seat next to Sherry only to be stopped when Aalekh abruptly got up from his own seat and took it.

Huda just stared at him.

Aalekh stared back.

Sherry looked at both of them for a minute and then shrugging, turning back to her plate of food.

"What's your problem, Qaidi?" Huda asked him angrily, "Are you Sherry's bodyguard now?"

"Just give it a rest for today, Huda." Aalekh told him, having noticed how subdued Sherry had been recently, "Sit down quietly and eat your food."

"And who are you to tell me what to do, Qaidi? How do you know she doesn't want to sit with me?"

Yudi snorted at this comment, obviously finding it very funny. Ali was looking down at his own plate, trying to keep out of the discussion, while Pooja was finding it all very interesting.

"Ask her then." Aalekh replied, "If she does, I'll get up."

"Sherry?" Huda asked her, "Whose company would you prefer? This charming Jat's or that sharabi Qaidi."

"I think I'd just prefer to eat my food." Sherry told him, "Since that's what lunch is generally for. Why don't you do the same?"

"Is there something going on between you and Qaidi?" Huda asked her, looking at them both suspiciously, "Why is he trying to keep me away from you?"

"Honestly I am worried for the future of the army, when its soldiers in training can't work out the incredibly obvious." Sherry told him, not bothering to give a proper reply.

"Bole to… Naina is like my family, Sherry is Naina's sister-in-law. Anyone who messes with either of them, messes with me." Aalekh told Huda in a very straight forward tone.

Huda snorted, "So now our Qaidi is making as many sisters as Osool is, and it's me stuck between the brothers."

Sherry was about to retort again when she spotted something that made her frown, and as Huda and Aalekh continued their argument, she focused on the scene in front of her.

Sherry didn't know why… but she didn't trust that woman.

/

"It's good to run into you again, Abhimanyu." Ritu greeted him, "Why don't we sit down together and have some coffee."

"Of course Ritu," he replied, remembering her request for him to call her by her first name, "I've been busy settling into the academy, but now that there's finally a quiet moment, why not?"

"So how are you finding the academy so far?" Ritu asked him, "Are the cadets behaving themselves in your class?"

"Oh the cadets are great," Abhi told her enthusiastically, "There are several who seem to be naturals at music, and it's wonderful to see them enjoying themselves so much."

"And you must be very busy with your classes," Ritu told him, "Some time when you're less busy we'll have to go out somewhere, I would love to show you around Ambala…"

They were interrupted by a mug being put down on the table with a great deal of force, and both of them looked up to see Sherry there, a not so amused look on her face.

"Hello Sir, Hello… ma'am." She told them both, practically spitting out the last word.

"Hi Sherry," Abhi replied perfectly calmly, "Why don't you join us?"

"Sure," Sherry said, taking the seat next to Ritu, with a glare in her direction, "Why not?"

"Wouldn't you be happier having lunch with your fellow cadets rather than with your teachers?" Ritu asked her in a sweet voice, really wanting to slap the girl in the face.

"Actually I have problems relating to my own peer group," Sherry told her, completely deadpan, "I'm told that therapy could help, maybe you could give me an opinion on that."

"I would be happy to have a session with you anytime you like," Ritu said, trying to sound sincere, "It will be completely confidential and…"

"I said I wanted an opinion, not a session." Sherry told her, "If I actually want the therapy then I'll go to somebody I would trust."

Abhimanyu coughed, not quite sure what he should be doing to make the situation better.

"Well if you have such trust issues with me… then it's interesting that you chose to come and sit here." Ritu replied slyly, "Perhaps you really do want some help and aren't ready to admit it."

"Or perhaps I wanted to talk to Abhimanyu Sir about something and you just happened to be sitting here," Sherry told her, "So if you're finished…"

"Fine," Ritu said, getting up, her lips set in a thin line, "Then we'll continue our conversation later, Abhimanyu." She smiled sweetly at him and left the room, fuming.

Sherry smirked.

"That was a bit rude," Abhimanyu told her with a slight frown.

"Well what could I do about it, she wasn't going to leave otherwise." Sherry replied, sounding like she wasn't the least bit sorry.

"But why did you want her to leave? What's your problem with Dr. Mishra?"

"I told you, she's a shrink, I hate shrinks. Never trust them, you shouldn't trust her either." Sherry told him seriously.

"And why do you hate 'shrinks' so much?" Abhi asked her, more concerned about the reason than he was about her treatment of Dr. Mishra.

"Well I've been sent to three… and every single one of them thought that the answer to my 'attitude problems' was to dope me with so much medication that I could barely open my mouth to speak." Sherry told him, "None of them actually wanted to know what was wrong, they just wanted to help make a problem disappear for my father's sake."

Abhi wondered whether Raj knew any of this, but he also knew that Sherry wouldn't agree to telling him, wanting to keep all of this from her brother. He wondered how many people realised that behind her tough exterior, she was actually quite fragile, dangerously close to finally cracking under the pressure of the pain she hid.

"And anyway, you should definitely watch out." Sherry added, "She's got her eye on you, I can tell."

"What do you mean she has her eye on me?" Abhi asked, thoroughly confused, "In what way?"

"And this is the third time in one day that I've been made to worry about the future of the Indian Army," Sherry muttered, "Are you really that thick?" she asked him, not seeming to care that she was talking to her teacher.

Abhimanyu finally understood what it was that she was talking about and stared at her in surprise.

"Don't be ridiculous, why on earth would Dr. Mishra have her eye on me?"

"Don't underestimate yourself," Sherry told Abhi, looking at him appraisingly, "You're not that bad."

He was not sure whether he should feel embarrassed by that comment or flattered.

"But take my advice," Sherry told him, "Don't trust her." And before he could reply, the academy bell had rung and she had walked away.

/

Naina exited her college with a group of her friends, suddenly colouring when she saw Raj waiting there for her. She coloured slightly, a happy smile on her lips, and her friends nudged her teasingly.

"So when do we get to meet your husband, Naina?" one of them asked her, "I never knew army guys could be that cute."

Naina just smiled, "Find your own," she teased her friend, "This one is all mine." Practically bounding down the stairs, she put her arms around him and he leaned down to kiss her cheek, sending butterflies through her stomach.

"How was your day?" Raj asked her as they got into the jeep.

"Busy," Naina replied, "There's so much to learn and so little time… I have no idea how I'll ever get it all done in time."

"Well you'll have to take the night off from studying tonight," Raj told her cheerfully, "I'm taking you out."

"Really? Where?" Naina asked him, trying not to sound as excited as she felt, both of them were usually so busy that they received so little time to go out together by themselves.

"I thought we could get some dinner and then catch a movie." Raj told her, "You don't have any classes tomorrow and neither do I, so it doesn't matter if we get back to the academy late."

"That sounds perfect," Naina replied, "It's been so long since I've been to a movie, I have no idea what's even playing at the moment."

"Well we'll find something once we get to the theatre," Raj told her, "You can pick what we see."

"Be careful," Naina warned him light heartedly, "I might choose something you won't be able to stand to watch."

"Who said that I was planning to watch the movie?" Raj flirted, grinning at her.

Naina blushed slightly, shaking her head at him, "You seemed like such a simple guy when I met you, it's only now I'm beginning to see this side of you."

"Well you can plan to see a lot more of it." Raj told her, "You're my wife, I think I'm allowed to flirt with you."

"As long as you don't ever think about flirting with anyone else," Naina warned him, "Otherwise you'll see a side of me coming out that you haven't seen yet."

"Don't worry, I have absolutely no desire to flirt with anyone else," Raj reassured her, "But at least sometimes you should try flirting with me too."

"Well… I might try." Naina answered a bit shyly, with a smile on his face, "But I'm not exactly sure what I should be doing."

"Hai… just keep smiling at me like that, and you won't need to do anything else." Raj told her, taking one hand off the steering wheel to press it to his heart and Naina laughed.

"Just drive properly or we'll never get back to the academy let alone go for the movie." She told him, and Raj nodded, putting his hand back on the wheel.

/

Raj waited outside the room while Naina changed, trying to be patient. It didn't take her long to get ready, within twenty minutes she had emerged, dressed and with minimal makeup applied. Naina smiled at him, but Raj just gaped in astonishment.

"I didn't even know that you owned jeans." He told her, looking her up and down as she stood there in jeans and a top.

"You never took me anywhere before where I could wear jeans," Naina told him, "This is the first time we're actually going to the movies."

"Well remind me to take you out to more places where you can wear jeans." Raj replied, still staring, and Naina blushed.

"I don't know what's gotten into you today," she told him, "You haven't stopped flirting with me since you picked me up from college."

"And I'm not going to either," Raj promised, "So you should get used to it."

He took her hand, and they walked towards the jeep.

They went to the cinema first to buy tickets and then to a café nearby to have a casual dinner before the film started.

"I hope you like it," Naina commented, "I've heard that it's quite good."

"I'll like anything that I go to see with you." Raj told her, "Even if it's the biggest flop of the year."

"Now that was a bit too much," Naina replied with a grin.

"Yeah I suppose it was, I just haven't had much practice flirting with pretty girls." Raj reached out to take her hand across the table.

"Well I'm glad of that, otherwise I would have to get jealous," Naina told him, "But are you really going to keep flirting so much all evening?"

"If you keep smiling at me then I definitely will," Raj promised. "We'd better get to the film now, or we're going to be late."

They reached the cinema, and Raj bought them popcorn to share and a drink. He barely paid attention to the movie at all, far happier to slip his arm around Naina's shoulders and watch her reactions instead.

She was happier than he'd ever seen her before, and he prayed to god that nothing ever disturbed that happiness.

Near the end of the film, she dropped her head to lean it on his shoulder, and Raj planted small kisses on her hair, tracing circles on her arm with the hand that is around her shoulders.

It would be impossible for him to be any happier than he was right at this moment, or any more in love.

It was quite late by the time they exited the movie theatre, and the streets of Ambala were nearly deserted. Laughing together about the thoroughly unrealistic ending, they climbed into the jeep and drove back towards the academy, it was only when they'd gone halfway that Raj got an idea, turning down another road.

"Where are we going?" Naina asked him curiously.

"You'll see when we get there," Raj promised, driving for about ten more minutes before they reached their destination, an outlook by the side of the road which looked down on the city of Ambala. Raj exited the jeep and then made his way to the other side, taking Naina's hand and leading her to the front of the jeep, before placing his hands on either side of her waist and lifting her onto the hood.

Naina laughed, "What exactly are we doing?" she asked him.

"Just wait and see," Raj told her, before climbing up onto the hood of the jeep himself. Lying back so that he was facing the sky, he gestured to Naina to do the same.

Once she had lain down she gasped, above her the stars were mapped out across the sky, shining brightly for as far as she can see.

"It's beautiful," Naina sighed, "Now I know why you wanted to bring me here."

They lay quietly side by side for awhile, simply watching the stars, before Raj turned on his side, propping himself up with one arm to observe her instead. Almost by instinct, Naina raised her hand to cup his cheek, and Raj leaned down to kiss her softly. She responded quickly and he deepened the kiss, as her lips parted under his he heard her gasp, taking it as a good sign, he allowed himself to reach further for once, running his hand down her arm until it reached her waist, caressing it lightly, his fingers only briefly brushing the exposed skin. Unable to help himself, he moved his hand further down to her leg, running it lightly up and down her thigh, marvelling at the feel of her through the denim.

Naina suddenly broke away and Raj looked at her in surprise, trying to work out whether he'd done something wrong.

"Do you really think we should be doing this?" Naina asked him, "I mean…"

"Naina, we're not committing any crime," Raj told her, "We are married, you know."

"No… no… I didn't mean it like that." Naina said quickly, "It's just… here?"

Looking around, Raj realised that she was perfectly right, they are parked by the side of the road, and while there wasn't anybody around right now, a car could pass by at any moment.

He imagined having to explain to a passer by exactly what it was he was doing, making out with his wife by the side of the road like a teenager.

"I think we'd better go back then," Raj told her, embarrassed at having forgotten where they were.

"Yes," Naina agreed, also looking slightly embarrassed, and they climbed back inside the jeep.

Raj struggled to control his breathing, because as determined as he was to remain patient and to take their time, Naina really was incredibly desirable.

He was just going to have to try to control himself until the right moment.

And hope that she wouldn't wear jeans again anytime soon.


	28. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty Seven

As it was the night before Karwa Chauth, Naina sat with Shalini in the Doctor's room, as Shalini applied mehndi to her palms.

"Thank you for doing this," Naina told her with a smile, "Otherwise I have no idea how I could have gotten it done."

"It's no problem at all Naina, after all it's your first karwa chauth with your husband, if you don't have mehndi on your hands then how will it look?" Shalini replied with a smile, while continuing to apply it.

"Will you be fasting?" Naina asked Shalini quietly, not really sure whether she should be asking at all or not.

"No," Shalini answered decisively, "It's not that I don't believe in the tradition, but I think that if the wife is going to uphold her duties, the husband needs to do his as well. He should be worthy of being fasted for." Shalini's face became sad for a moment before she brightened up, patting Naina's cheek affectionately. "And your husband is definitely worthy of being fasted for, I've seen how much he loves and supports you."

Naina nodded, smiling and blushing slightly. She agreed with Shalini wholeheartedly, if anybody's husband was worthy of being fasted for then it was hers.

"So have you told him how you feel?" Naina asked Shalini, "That he needs to uphold his duties as well?"

"Oh I've told him many times…" Shalini replied, "That's what many of our fights are about these days, and maybe that's why he hardly ever calls at all now."

Seeing the upset look on Naina's face, she smiled reassuringly and kept applying the mehndi.

"Don't worry about it Naina, I'll be fine." Shalini assured her, "But what I want most of all is to see both you and Raj happy tomorrow, that's the best gift you can give me."

"At least that's one thing I can promise you, Shalini." Naina told her, "Nothing will be able to make me unhappy tomorrow."

/

Naina woke early to begin the preparations for her fast, surprised when she saw Raj enter the kitchen a few minutes later, rubbing his eyes sleepily. As she was putting the final touches on the preparation of the food he came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and planting a kiss on her neck.

"Why are you awake?" she asked him, turning her face to kiss his cheek, "Go back to sleep."

"Did you think that I'd forget?" he asked her, "How can I sleep when you're up preparing for today?"

Naina smiled, raising a hand to ruffle his already messy hair. "I've done this without you twice before, you know." She informed him.

Raj just stared at her, not having expected this. "You kept Karwa Chauth for the last two years?" he asked her, "But why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, no matter what the circumstances, I was your wife, and I genuinely did want your long life," Naina told him, "As for informing you… at the time I was worried that I was nothing more than a burden to you, an obligation… I didn't want to increase that obligation even more."

Raj tightened his arms where he was hugging her around her waist, rocking back and forth with her slightly, his chin resting on her shoulder.

"You were never an obligation to me Naina…" he told her, "And it's funny that we both feared exactly the same thing. But now… there's nothing to stop us celebrating the festival together."

"Together?" Naina asked him with a frown, "When you say together…"

"Yes, I'm going to fast with you." Raj announced proudly and she frowned even more.

"No you're not, I forbid you to." Naina told him strictly, "What if you faint during one of your drills?"

"And what if you faint during your college?" Raj retorted, "Either both of us keep it or neither of us do."

Naina looked at the expression on his face and realised that he was completely serious. Sighing, she decided there was no point in arguing with him, his mind was made up.

"Fine," she told him, "But if you faint, it's not my fault… don't you know you're not supposed to be doing this?"

"Don't worry, I'm not just doing it for your long life, it's also for mine… how do you expect me to live to an old age if you're not here to look after me?" he asked, and she couldn't help but smile, pushing his head playfully.

"Alright, then come to the table and we'll eat." She told him, taking his hand in hers, with the platter in the other and leading him to the table.

"As long as you feed me," Raj replied, picking up some food and offering it to her. Naina took it from his hands, before picking up a bite sized portion to offer it to him.

They finished the food quickly, and getting up, Raj tugged Naina's hand, leading her back towards the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" she asked him curiously.

"Naina it's early in the morning, at least let's sleep for a few more hours," he told her, "And if you don't feel like sleeping then you can lie there and let me hug you."

"When did you get to be so romantic?" she asked him, amused.

"I think it was around the time I found out that you loved me." Raj replied, tugging her back down to the bed and putting his arms around her, "Now sleep for awhile longer."

/

"Morning, Bhabhi," Sherry greeted Naina when she ran into her in the corridor, "Nice mehndi, what's the occasion?"

"Thanks Sherry," Naina replied with a smile, "It's Karwa Chauth today so…"

"Oh, so you're fasting." Sherry commented, "Well I hope my brother is at least fasting as well if you're going to all that trouble."

"Yes, he is." Naina admitted, slightly shy, and Sherry smiled.

"Just as well… otherwise he'd be in trouble with me." Sherry commented, a small grin on her face.

"Oh, so you're fasting." A silky voice interrupted, and Sherry turned to face the woman with an annoyed expression, but not before she spotted the look of apprehension on Naina's face. "That's so old fashioned, I hadn't expected you would be. I mean, modern women in these times are choosing not to."

"Well maybe you could choose not to if you actually had somebody to fast for." Sherry commented, glaring at Ritu hard, "But as you don't, I don't know why you're worried about it."

"Well I'll have to worry about it eventually, won't I?" Ritu replied, her eyes narrowed, "And you never know, it could always be sooner rather than later."

"Oh I wouldn't be so sure about that," Sherry told her, taking a step closer, "You never know what might happen."

Naina realised that Ritu and Sherry were now focused on each other as if they'd completely forgotten she was there. She had had no idea that Sherry disliked the woman so much until that moment, and had a nagging feeling that there was something going on she wasn't aware of. Wanting to disrupt the mounting tension, she spoke up.

"I'm getting late for college. Sherry, enjoy your day and keep an eye on Raj for me, if he starts to feel faint…"

"Just relax, Naina!" Sherry told her, "Bhaiyya is a soldier you know, he's not going to collapse if he fasts for one day."

Naina smiled, and finally waving goodbye, headed to the front of the academy.

Ritu and Sherry resumed staring at each other in a kind of stand off, before Ritu finally spoke.

"There's no need to be so hostile towards me, Cadet Gehlot, it doesn't suit a future soldier to behave like this towards their superiors."

"And there's no need to try and convince me that I don't need to be hostile with you… I know exactly what you're up to, and I'm not going to let you succeed." Sherry told her.

For a moment a look of shock passed over Ritu's face, and Sherry began to wonder exactly what it was that Ritu thought Sherry knew she was up to.

"We'll see about that." Ritu finally said, seeming to calm slightly, "And try to learn to control your temper before it really gets you in trouble." With those parting words, she stalked off towards her office.

Shrugging, Sherry entered the canteen where she grabbed a plate of food and sat down at her usual table.

She took the only empty chair beside Pooja, before sighing, realising that she'd managed to sit down exactly opposite Huda.

"Did you know it's Karwa Chauth today, Sherry?" Pooja asked her, "I just got the reminder in my inbox from mummy, she'll be having such a good time today with all our relatives and friends."

"Yeah, Bhabhi is fasting today." Sherry told her, "I think Bhaiyya is too."

"Hai… so romantic, just like Raj and Simran." Pooja commented, sighing dreamily, which caused Aalekh and Yudi to both give her very disbelieving looks.

"So…. Karwa Chauth… you know you can fast for your future husband too, so why don't you try fasting for me today, Miss Sherry?" Huda asked her, winking.

For a moment Sherry just looked at him, her eyes narrowing, then without saying anything, she began shovelling food into her mouth so fast that the rest of them stared at her.

"Sherry what on earth are you doing?" Yudi asked her.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sherry asked him, "If fasting would ensure Huda's long life then I'm hoping that by stuffing my face today it will have the opposite effect."

Almost everybody at the table burst out laughing except for Huda, who had quite an angry look on his face.

Sherry got up and put her now empty plate on the counter, almost running into Abhimanyu who was just grabbing one.

"Hi," she greeted him, "Have you seen Bhaiyya yet this morning?"

"No, not yet." Abhi told her, "Did you need him for something?"

"Actually I wanted to congratulate him on his good decision," she lowered her voice as if telling a secret, "He's fasting as well, you know."

"Excellent!" Abhi grinned at her, "I'm proud of him, I don't see why wives should have to do it if their husbands don't."

"I agree," Sherry replied, "There's no way I would fast for somebody's long life who wasn't concerned about mine."

"Well you can put it in your questionnaire for marriage suitability," Abhi joked with her, "That way you can weed out the bad ones easily."

"Yeah well, somehow I don't think that one point is going to be high on my father's list of qualifications in a future groom." Sherry told him, "Which is why I'm not planning to get married."

"Never give up, Cadet." Abhi advised her, in a mock serious tone. "You never know what the future has in store for you."

"Thanks Sir, I'll go and find Bhaiyya now, and see you later in class." Sherry told him with a small smile, now cheered up from the bad mood she'd been in ever since she had run into Ritu.

However her good mood didn't last for long, since at the exact moment she was about to exit the canteen, Huda stepped in front of her.

"Why are you always like this to me, Sherry?" he asked her, "Whatever I say, however much I try, you're never nice, and Abhimanyu Sir… well, you're happy to chat with him. What's he got that I haven't?"

Sherry stared at Huda, unable to believe how ridiculous he was being, how much jealousy he was showing as if he had some right to claim her as his own.

"Cool hair." She finally replied, "Go and grow yours and then I'll be nice to you."

And pushing past him, she left to find Raj.

/

It was late afternoon when Naina arrived back from college, more tired than usual due to her fasting, and tempted to just collapse.

On entering the room she saw Raj seated in one of the sofas, also looking tired and trying to concentrate on his notes. He smiled as soon as he saw her and Naina moved forward, seating herself on the arm of the sofa and putting one arm around his shoulders, leaning against him. Raj reached up to take the hand of the arm around his shoulders, bringing it to his mouth and kissing it.

After a few minutes of sitting that way silently, Naina finally sighed and made a move to get up.

"Where are you going?" Raj asked her, tugging her back down.

"To go and start the preparations for tonight," Naina told him, "You do want to eat, don't you?"

"Forget about any preparations," Raj told her, "I've already arranged for some food to be delivered to us, I don't want you to have to cook tonight and I know that whatever I cook really isn't going to be satisfying after a day of fasting."

Naina smiled at this, raising her hand to run her fingers through his hair slowly.

"I think you're definitely the best husband in the world," she told him, "Sometimes I wonder whether I really deserve you."

"Don't ever wonder about that," Raj replied seriously, "I'm lucky to have you… if any happiness has returned to my life, then it's only because of you."

"Well then I'd better get started with the other preparations." She told him, "There are rituals we need to complete, you know."

"Oh yes, rituals, which I have absolutely no idea about except what I've seen in films. So I'm afraid it's going to be very much up to you to get them right." Raj warned her.

Naina laughed, "That's fine, just let me go and get dressed properly and then I'll be ready to show you what we have to do."

She had already entered the bedroom when Raj called out behind her, "Check the bed before you go looking in the closet!"

Naina came out of the bedroom holding three boxes in her hands, one larger and the other two decreasing in size.

"What's this?" she asked him, a curious smile on her face.

"Open it and see." Raj told her, "Don't you know that you're supposed to get presents from your husband on Karwa Chauth?"

A small excited grin appeared on Naina's face at this, and she began to open the largest package, before marvelling at what lay inside.

"Raj this is…" she began to say, "But it must be…"

"Don't even think about worrying about that," he warned her, "I'll buy you whatever I feel like buying you, and you're not allowed to worry about the cost."

Naina looked down at the sari in her hands, which was beautifully embroidered and a deep red.

"Did you pick this?" she asked him, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Well… I had some help from the sales assistant." Raj admitted, a little embarrassed.

Putting the sari down carefully, Naina put her arms around his neck, kissing him soundly.

"This is the most beautiful gift I've ever received," she told him when she finally pulled away, "Thank you."

"Well I think I'm trying to make up for all that time we missed," Raj told her seriously, "And I couldn't buy you a wedding outfit at the time like I should've."

Naina wrapped her arms around him, leaning her head on his chest.

"Aren't you going to open the rest?" he asked, impatient to see her reactions to the rest of the gifts.

Naina opened the next biggest box in size, once again gaping when she saw the contents, an elaborate jewellery set which matched the sari.

"This is…"

"Unless your next words are 'beautiful and I love it', don't even think about saying them." Raj warned her.

"Beautiful and I love it." Naina finished with a grin, knowing that he wasn't going to listen to anything else. "Just wait until I graduate and start earning money, I've got a lot of gifts to catch up on now for you."

Instead of refusing, Raj smiled down at her proudly, "I'll be waiting for that," he told her, and she knew that he was honestly very happy about the idea of her working after marriage.

"Okay, third one." Raj told her, becoming impatient again.

"Well I don't know what it could be unless you bought me matching shoes." Naina remarked.

"Actually that's the only thing I couldn't buy, I had no idea what size your feet are." Raj admitted, embarrassed.

Naina opened the third package and this time was genuinely surprised once again. "Well this is… different." She commented, picking up the mobile phone in her hand.

"Well I had to buy a new one for myself after Sherry broke mine…" Raj told her, "So I thought why not get two while I was there."

"When did Sherry break your phone?" Naina asked, and Raj realised that it was probably best not to go into that story.

"Not too long ago…" Raj told her, "It was accidental… but now that you have one you can contact me in case of any emergency, or call your mother whenever you wish, or even text message me when you're bored in college…"

Naina laughed at the last option, and bringing his face down to her with one hand, kissed his cheek.

"Well I'm going to go and get changed now," she told him, "It's nearly time for us to start the rituals."

The food arrived while she was changing and Raj set it out, waiting for her to be done before he changed himself.

The moment she stepped out of the room, he had to steady himself on a chair, honestly afraid that he might fall over at the sight of her.

He had known that she was beautiful from the first day he met her, but now…

As he stood there just gazing at her, Naina tried not to smile and failed.

"Okay, go and get changed," she ordered him, "Don't think that if I'm this dressed up, you're allowed to complete the rituals in jeans and a shirt."

Finally waking up from his trance, Raj walked towards the bedroom, purposefully brushing against her on the way, knocking his fingers against her.

Naina's smile just increased at his playfulness and while waiting she checked the food that was already laid out, noticing that he had ordered some of her favourites.

When Raj came out of the room wearing a formal kurta pajama set, her smile grew even wider.

"You're so handsome," she told him, reaching out to take his hand.

"Accha, is my biwi flirting with me now?" Raj asked her, "Actually I think you should be telling me that more often."

"And have you told me how I look tonight?" Naina asked him back jokingly, knowing perfectly well what he thought about how she looked.

"Well I'm not sure I could find the words, but if you allow me, then perhaps I could show you…"

"Ah! Rituals first!" Naina cut him off before he could complete the sentence, "The moon is out and I think it's time that we break our fasts."

They completed the rituals seriously, and as Naina gazed first at the moon and then at his face, she felt herself almost melt at the look in his eyes. Finally the other rituals were completed and he held up the cup of water for her to drink from, bringing it to her lips. Naina took just enough to sake her thirst before offering him the water as well, and Raj drank deeply before once again passing it back to her.

She was too fast for him the next time, holding out a bite of food before he could take any for her, and smiling at her quickness he ate it, before offering some to her in return. It was awhile before they finally finished eating, the process slow as they kept feeding each other.

When their dinner was over, Naina wandered to the bedroom, intending to take off the heavy jewellery she was wearing. As her fingers began to undo the earrings, she felt Raj's hands join hers, and he quickly unpinned the jewellery that she was fumbling with. Within a few minutes her jewellery was lying on the bedside table and Naina gazed at him, wondering exactly what it was that he intended; however as soon as he had finished helping her, Raj wandered back out of the room, closing the door and leaving her to get changed in privacy.

She opened the door when she was done and he came back in, taking her hand and making her sit on the bed then sitting beside her. Naina wasn't sure what to expect but he took book her hands in his, inspecting them carefully, his finger tracing over the lines of her mehndi. Naina shivered slightly as he did so, but Raj either didn't notice or ignored it.

"I think I've found my name," he finally told her, tapping a part of her hand with one finger.

Naina blushed, remembering her request to Shalini to include it, not having thought at the time that he would actually look for it.

His task completed, Raj lowered himself so that his head was in her lap, one of her hands still grasped in his.

"I love you, Naina." He told her, "Don't ever leave me, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Not even on holiday?" she asked him softly, aware that his eyes were already closed.

"Not even on holiday." He confirmed, "Wherever we'll go, we'll go together."

His breathing deepened and she realised that he had gone to sleep, exhausted by a combination of the day's physical exercise, the early start and no food all day.

Naina leaned down to plant a kiss on his forehead. She could at least promise him this very easily, she would never willingly leave him.

Because if she did, she would be so lost she would never be able to find her way again.


	29. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty Eight

For the past week Raj had barely been able to spend any time with Naina at all, she had started coming home later than usual, spending her free time to research for an assignment in her college's library , having time only to eat and then falling asleep almost as soon as she finished her dinner. Walking into their room after his last class for the day, Raj smiled happily when he saw her sitting there, writing something. Naina looked up and smiled at him tiredly, before going straight back to her work.

"At least you're home early tonight," Raj told her, as he sat down on one of the chairs near her.

"Hmmm," Naina remarked, still writing.

"I've barely seen you all week," he continued, watching her for any reaction.

Naina made another affirmative noise, still not looking up from the notebook she was writing in.

"It's a pity you're back early today," Raj told her slyly, waiting for the reaction, "Dr. Shalini and I were planning on eloping together in the afternoon."

"Hmm," Naina replied as if agreeing, and Raj sighed in frustration.

"You're really not listening to anything I'm saying, are you?" he asked her.

Naina finally looked up on hearing the annoyed tone in his voice. "What?" she asked, not having heard his last sentence.

"I said you haven't been listening to anything I've been saying, have you?" Raj asked her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Raj I'm sorry, but what am I supposed to do?" Naina asked him, "This assignment is due in three days and it's not finished yet. Just bear with me, once I've got it finished, all of my time is yours again."

"You can't even spare five minutes for me now?" Raj asked in disbelief.

"Raj, we both know exactly how long those five minutes would turn into." Naina told him, "Please be patient for the next three days, unless you want me to fail."

"Of course I don't want you to fail!" Raj told her, slightly offended, "I just wanted to spend some time with you, maybe cheer you up a bit."

"I'll cheer up when this is finished!" Naina told him, and then abruptly picked up her books and moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Raj asked her, clearly confused.

"If I stay here then you're going to keep distracting me." Naina told him, "I'm going to go and sit in the canteen, please just let me finish this!"

Raj could tell that she was annoyed with him, and he frowned, realising that he probably hadn't been understanding enough about her assignment. Still, he'd missed talking to her the past few days, and he had just wanted to spend some time with his wife.

Raj sighed, because now he was going to have to go and convince her that he really didn't intend to annoy her anymore.

/

Naina was in the middle of writing a sentence when a mug of chai was placed in front of her. Surprised, she looked up to see Raj standing there, a very repentant look on his face.

"I'm sorry," he told her genuinely, "I know how important your assignment is, if you come back to the room then I promise I won't distract you anymore, I'll just sit there and watch you quietly."

Naina struggled not to laugh, shaking her head and putting down her pen. "I'm sorry too," she told him, "I'm just a bit stressed about all this. I'll come back to the room as soon as I've had this chai, now come and sit with me, it won't hurt me to take a five minute break."

Raj sat opposite her, smiling again now that he knew she wasn't annoyed.

"This is the closest that we've ever come to having a real fight, isn't it?" he asked her with a grin.

"I hope that this is the closest that we ever come to having one," Naina replied, "But I can get a bit grumpy around exam time."

"Well I'll be on my best behaviour around then," Raj promised, "And if not, then I promise I'll make up for it by bringing you your favourite sweets."

They smiled at each other, and Raj reached out to take one of her hands, holding it tightly.

At the counter, Suriji sighed before smiling at Abhi. "May they always be this happy," he blessed them, "You see Chauhan, how happy Rajveer Putar is. Make sure that you choose the right girl to marry."

"Suriji, I think there's still quite a bit of time left until my marriage," Abhi told him humorously, "You don't need to be giving me this advice just yet."

"Take it seriously, Putar," Suriji told him, his expression changing noticeably, "Rajveer Putar is this happy because he's married such a sweet girl, if Navin had only chosen a better girl then maybe…"

Abhi froze at these words even as Suriji stopped speaking. "What are you talking about, Suriji? What girl? Did Navin have somebody in his life while he was at KMA?"

"There was somebody…" Suriji admitted, "I never met her, but Navin used to talk about her often, he was crazy about her. Then when he needed her the most… she abandoned him, was nowhere to be found."

"And you have no idea who she was?" Abhi asked him desperately, "Not a name, not anything?"

"No putar… unfortunately I was away the night he brought her to the academy for the alumni night. You know Navin, he was very private, he never told me her name or any details."

Suriji noticed the look on Abhimanyu's face and sighed, "Don't spend any time worrying about it, Putar." Suriji told him, "Whoever that girl is, she's now long gone having left him behind. Perhaps she abandoned him out of fear…"

"Or perhaps…" Abhi started to say, the wheels in his mind already turning. He crossed over to the table where Raj and Naina were sitting, now laughing together, and placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

"Raj, can I talk to you?" he asked.

"Sure," Raj agreed, guessing that it must be something important. "Naina, I'll be right back."

"I'll go back to the room after I finish this," Naina told him, "Take your time."

Raj and Abhi left for Abhimanyu's room quickly, and Abhimanyu locked the door behind them before telling Raj what he had just found out from Suriji.

"A girlfriend?" Raj asked him, "I do remember Navin talking about a girl on the phone once when he called, he never told me her name… there wasn't enough time for me to find out, soon after that he was arrested and…"

"Do you think she could've had something to do with the conspiracy against him?" Abhi asked Raj, keeping his voice down even despite the fact that they were in a locked room.

"I wouldn't rule anything out," Raj replied seriously, "It's possible that she was just a normal girl, who didn't love him enough to stick by him when he was labeled a traitor. However it's also possible that whoever she was, she was working for somebody else and that once she achieved her goal…"

"She left him to his fate, left him to die." Abhimanyu concluded, a look of anger passing over his face. "I don't know why, but I feel this might be the key to the mystery."

"Even I feel that it's important," Raj agreed, "Finally after such a long time we've managed to get some new information on Navin's case, if we can only find out her identity…"

"I agree, that has to be one of our priorities. Will you tell Naina about this?"

"Yes… but not right now." Raj replied after a great deal of thought, "She has an important assignment due and I don't want to distract her from it. Once she's handed it in I'll tell her what we've found out."

"And until then we'll try and continue our investigations." Abhi added.

"Exactly." Raj agreed, "And maybe… just maybe we'll finally be able to make some progress towards proving him innocent.

It had been so long… that it was almost too much for him to hope for.

/

Two days later as Sherry was walking from her room to the library she found her path blocked by Huda, she sidestepped him only to have him come in front of her again. Again she stepped to the side, only to have him step in front once again.

"Don't you have anything better to do than annoy me?" she asked him, "You know… like learn to be a soldier?"

"Oh I learn how to be a soldier in class hours," Huda drawled, "Right now we've got free time so I'm all yours."

"Well thanks, but no thanks." Sherry told him, "I think I'll do just fine without you." And stepping forward, she attempted to go past him again. Huda grabbed her arm, pulling her back and Sherry shrugged him off angrily.

"What exactly is your problem?" she asked him, "What do you want from me?"

"Just a bit of your time… why don't you get to know me properly, you haven't even given me a chance. I know that once you know the real Huda you won't want to go anywhere." He told her, his arms crossed against his chest confidently.

"Get this straight, Huda," Sherry told him, jabbing her finger at his chest, "I'm not interested in getting to know the real you, and frankly, I think that this probably is the real you. I'm not interested in you at all."

"And what am I lacking exactly?" Huda asked her, "Every girl here is crazy about me except you. Stop playing hard to get, admit that you like me."

"You're wrong, Huda. Pooja isn't crazy about you either. Why don't you go and convince her that she really likes you instead." Sherry told him sarcastically, "Now get out of my way and let me pass."

"Sherry I like you, I like your spark," Huda told her with a grin, "And I know you'll like me too one day."

"Look, I can't help it if you like me, that's your problem." Sherry told him angrily, "But you can't just expect me to return your feelings because that's what you want. I have my own mind, my own heart, and I'm not going to do anything I don't want to just because somebody else thinks I should."

She pushed him away so hard that he hit one of the pillars, and he stared at her in shock as she walked away as quickly as possible. Sherry blinked back tears, feeling stupid for her reaction, but honestly the way that Huda was acting reminded her of the way her father acted, expecting her to become whatever it was that he wanted her to be.

And every time she was reminded of her father…

Shaking her head angrily, Sherry abandoned her idea of going to the library, knowing that she would be unable to concentrate. Instead she headed down to the lake, and choosing a large stone to sit on, she stared into its depths.

No matter what happened, she would never be able to escape from him, would never be anything other than his daughter. No matter how far she tried to run, something would always remind her of him, of what he was… of what she was. It was as if he loomed over her life like a dark cloud, blocking out any chance of sunlight.

Sherry wiped away a tear angrily… she wouldn't cry, she wouldn't allow him to have that power over her.

She was startled by a hand on her shoulder and expecting it to be Huda back again to bother her, she spun around, lashing out with her hand.

"Ouch!"

On hearing the voice she looked up, seeing Abhimanyu wincing and holding his stomach where she had punched him.

"I'm sorry, Sir!" Sherry told him, standing up and genuinely feeling terrible about it, "I didn't see you, I thought that you were…"

"Cadet Huda?" Abhimanyu asked humorously, having only been slightly winded by her blow to his gut.

"How did you know?" Sherry asked him a bit glumly, moving over slightly on the rock to give him space to sit down.

"It's fairly obvious," Abhimanyu informed her, "Every time I see you it seems as if Cadet Huda is trying to flirt with you and you're trying to get him to stop. I thought you were handling it alright, but when I saw you heading down here you were so upset I thought I should check on you." He paused, looking her over, seeing the tears in her eyes. "Do you want me to tell Raj about this? He can have a talk to Huda…"

"No, don't tell Bhaiyya about this…" Sherry shook her head, "Really it's not Huda that's got me upset. He's just a bit of a stubborn idiot who won't give up, it just reminded me of something else…"

"Well how about talking about me?" Abhi asked her, "I know you're reluctant to do so, but I'm happy to sit and listen." He waited quietly, giving her the time to make her decision. When Sherry finally began to speak he had to hide his surprise, not having expected her to.

"I don't want to become what my father wants me to be," she told him, "Whatever it is that he has planned for me… I will never allow him to succeed in that. I might not be able to do anything else, but I'll at least do this much."

"I know how hard parental expectations can be," Abhi told her gently, "I've had to deal with them too. I would've preferred to study music, but my father wanted me to join the army… and so I did. If I hadn't had friends like Raj and Navin then I never could've adjusted to life here, I would've been utterly miserable. Sometimes I still think about what I would've been if I'd pursued my own dreams… but now the army is my life. What I'd like to say, is that you should definitely try your best here Sherry, don't reject the training just because it's what your father chose for you."

"No… no I won't." Sherry responded quietly before a fire appeared in her eyes, "Because even I'm waiting for the day when my father realises what a mistake it was to send me here, because everything that I'm taught here…"

She was so angry, and yet she had no idea how to express it, how to finally get rid of it. It built and built inside her, with no outlet except occasional angry outbursts, and in the end she just felt helpless. Helpless to change her situation, helpless to ever change anything at all. Sherry wiped at her eyes angrily. She wouldn't cry, she wouldn't.

"It's alright to cry sometimes," Abhi told her softly, cautiously reaching out a hand to touch her shoulder. "Sometimes it helps to be able to finally release your emotions, let it all out."

Sherry laughed then, bitterly, almost desperately. "If I start crying then I'm afraid that I might never stop." She admitted, turning to look at him. For once her mask dropped, and for the first time he saw fear in her eyes, loneliness and a hurt so deep that it made his own heart ache in sympathy for her.

"What are you afraid of, Sherry?" Abhi asked her, "Raj is here for you, Naina is here for you, so are your friends, even I'm here for you. I know you think telling Raj and Naina all this would burden them but you need to let it out some time. If you can't tell them… then you can tell me." He tried to smile reassuringly at her, wanting to make her feel better. "And if you feel like letting it all out, my shoulders are strong enough to withstand a little crying." He patted one of his shoulders in order to prove the point, hoping that he could at least get a small smile out of her.

But Sherry just stared at him.

"Why are you so kind to me?" she finally said, "Don't be."

"Why not?" Abhi asked in return, genuinely confused by her response. "Don't you think you deserve a little kindness?"

"I've stopped believing that I deserve anything, least of all kindness." Sherry told him, "Don't be so nice to me, or I might learn to expect too much in future."

"Sherry, I don't know what you can expect from anybody else, but you can expect at least this much from me." He assured her, "I want you to know that I'm here for you, anytime you need to talk."

A strange look passed across Sherry's face, her eyes widened and for a moment it seemed as if she might speak, but then the mask came back and she blinked, as if to clear herself of her emotions.

"I won't forget that," she told him quietly, almost sadly. "But it's just not possible."

She stood up, smoothing the skirt of her uniform down, not looking him in the eye directly.

"You really shouldn't be this nice to me," she repeated once again, "But… thank you." She walked back towards the academy without waiting for an answer.

Abhimanyu stared after her. Every time he spoke to Sherry he became more and more convinced that there was something seriously wrong, something which had hurt her so deeply that she had tried to shut herself off from everybody else. It was difficult to see her in this much pain and he just hoped that she would have the courage to open her heart to someone, whether that person was him or somebody else.

For now, until she was ready to finally talk, all he could do was to be a friend to her, and hope that it would make a difference.


	30. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty Nine

The day that she handed her assignment in, Naina came back to the academy with a smile on her face, and a slight nervousness. After days she would finally be able to spend some time with him properly, and yet what she had to tell him… she knew he wouldn't be happy.

Coming into the room she found Raj sitting there as if he had been waiting for her, and a huge smile spread across his face at the sight of her.

"Assignment finished?" he asked her, grinning, and Naina nodded with a similar smile on her own face. "Then you finally have some time for me?" he asked teasingly, walking towards her.

"Maybe a little bit," Naina answered in a similar teasing tone, "I might be able to spare about five minutes for you right now."

"Only five minutes?" he asked in disbelief, winding his arms around her, "After having you ignore me for days, I need at the very least five hours."

"Well you had better take them fast," Naina warned him, "I've got something to tell you and I don't think you're going to be happy about it."

"I've got something to tell you too," Raj said, suddenly becoming serious, all the teasing going out of his tone. "I was waiting until your assignment was finished, but now I think I should tell you as soon as possible."

"What is it?" Naina asked him, worried, "Everything is okay, isn't it?"

"We've had some progress in Navin's case," Raj informed her, "Abhi found out from Suriji that Navin had a girlfriend while he was stationed at the academy… we don't know who she was, neither does Suriji. Did Navin ever tell you anything?"

Naina smiled sadly at this, "I was his little sister, he never told me about any of his girlfriends," she informed Raj, "But do you think that this girl…"

"I don't want to rule anything out at the moment," Raj told her, "Finally after such a long time we've received a new clue, I just hope that it leads to something else soon."

Naina nodded, and leaning forward, rested her head against his chest, having become emotional thinking about her brother. Raj wrapped his arms around her even tighter, as her hands curled against his chest, he bent down to kiss her hair.

"You wanted to tell me something too, didn't you?" he asked her, and Naina mumbled something into his chest.

"What?" Raj asked her, not having understood a single word of it.

"I said that I have to leave you for a few days," Naina told him, lifting her head up so that he could hear her.

"What? Why?" Raj asked her, "I thought you said you weren't going to leave me for the rest of your life." He wasn't sure whether to take her seriously or not.

"Yes, but when I was making romantic promises, I forgot to think about my education." Naina told him, "We've got a medical camp, in the preparation for the assignment I completely forgot about it, and now I have to leave in two days time and will be away for four."

Raj started frowning, obviously thinking about exactly how much time he would have to spend apart from her. "This isn't fair," he protested, "Who decides to have these medical camps?"

"Raj, everyone has to go on the medical camps," Naina told him, "I can't refuse, and it will be good for my training."

"And what if I forbid you to go?" Raj suggested hopefully.

Naina started giggling at this, which was not quite the response he was hoping for.

"What's so funny?" Raj asked her, "Can't I at least try and forbid you from going?"

Naina kept on giggling, her earlier sadness forgotten, "It's just the idea of you turning into one of those strict type husbands… forbidding his wife from doing something. It was too funny."

"But four days…" Raj protested, "Surely you don't have to go for that long, you can go for less time…"

"I'll be missing you too," Naina assured him, "And I've got the phone you gave me now, you can call me, or sms me… ask Pooja for some tips." She joked with him.

"Call? Sms?" Raj asked, "Does that really make up for having you here with me?"

He ran his fingers through her hair before bending down to kiss her, cupping her face with both his hands. Naina placed her hands on top of his, kissing him back softly.

"Well if you're going to be gone for four days then I think I need to get four days worth of kisses to make up for it beforehand," Raj tells her with a mischievous glint in his eye and teasing him, Naina tried to move away, but he grabbed her hand, pinning it behind her back and bringing her closer to him so that it was impossible for her to get away. Before leaning down to kiss her again, he checked that she wasn't actually alarmed by his move, that she knew he was just playing. Seeing the mischievous look still in Naina's eyes, he finally allowed himself to kiss her again, even more passionately this time than those before, and Naina brought her spare hand up to rest on his neck, pulling him even closer.

"Ahh!" hearing the shout, they broke apart almost guiltily, turning to see Sherry standing in the doorway with her hand over her eyes, as if trying to shield them. "How many times have I told you two…" she continued saying, still not removing her hand.

"And I've also told you to learn to knock!" Raj retorted, sounding a little annoyed in an effort to cover up his embarrassment. He felt like a teenager, having been caught by his little sister while kissing his girlfriend. "Can't we get any privacy?" he asked a bit plaintively, "I haven't even been able to talk to Naina properly for the last week."

"Well you're not the only one," Sherry told him, advancing inside with one hand in front of her, and the other still over her eyes, "Naina might be your wife, but she's my Bhabhi, and even I've missed spending time with her."

"Sherry, you can take your hand off your eyes now," Naina told her, sounding amused to see the girl trying not to bang into the furniture.

"Really, what did you think? That we were continuing to do something while you were standing there?" Raj asked her with a frown.

"Well with you two… you never know." Sherry told him, finally taking her hand off her eyes, "Why don't you just hurry up and go for a honeymoon, then perhaps I won't have to be so scared of walking in on you."

"Or you could learn to knock…"

"Or you could learn to lock your door…"

Naina sighed at the behaviour of the two of them, thinking that it was as if they'd both reverted back to childhood.

"Alright, that's enough…" she told them, "Actually Sherry, I was just telling Raj that I have to go on a medical camp for four days, I leave on Monday."

"Oh…" Sherry said, "But you'll be back after that, right? I mean… Bhaiyya and I will both be missing you."

Naina smiled at this, and crossed over to give Sherry an impulsive hug, "Well at least for those four days you won't have to worry about knocking." Naina teased her.

"Oh no, I'll definitely be knocking from now on," Sherry said, "No matter how cute a pair you are, no girl wants to have to see her brother kissing anyone." She shuddered at the thought.

Naina laughed at this, "I'm sure I would've reacted in the same way if I'd ever walked in on Navin and any of his girlfriends…" Reminded of what she had just found out, she suddenly became quiet. She would ask her mother… perhaps Navin had confided something to her that he wouldn't have told his little sister.

"Well now that I've received the shock of my life, I'll leave you two alone." Sherry told them, "But please, if you're in a romantic mood, then do think about locking the door in case you end up giving somebody a heart attack."

Giving Naina another small hug and grinning mischievously at Raj she wandered out of the room again, shutting the door firmly behind her. Raj waited approximately five seconds, and then crossed quickly to the door to turn the lock.

"I'm not taking any chances this time," he informed Naina, who was watching him with an amused expression, "There's no guarantee that it won't happen again."

She laughed, and when he crossed back over towards her, she was ready for him, tugging the front of his shirt to bring him closer. Without waiting for any more encouragement, Raj picked her up in his arms, carrying her to the bedroom and putting her on the bed. He could see a slight nervousness enter Naina's eyes but no fear, and he smiled reassuringly, as if to let her know that all he really did have planned was to get his four days' quota of kissing.

Understanding his reassurance, Naina relaxed, even pulling him to her, and Raj gladly obliged. Slipping his hands behind her back, he pressed her to him, kissing first her cheeks, then her neck, and finally her lips. Naina snaked her hands around his back, hugging him to her tightly, and for once, Raj allowed his hands to roam up and down her back before one finally settled on her hip, pressing it tightly. Pushing her kurti up slightly, he splayed his fingers across her skin, feeling the warmth of it, the softness. Naina shuddered slightly, and Raj tightened his grip on her, kissing her even harder as her back arched towards him slightly. With the way she was responding it was difficult to stop himself, but he eventually broke the kiss, settling her in his arms comfortably and resting his face in the crook of her neck.

"Why did you stop?" she asked him almost shyly.

"Have I ever told you that I like hugging you almost as much as I like kissing you?" Raj asked her, still not raising his head from where it rested, "So I thought I should get my four days worth of that as well."

Smiling at his sweetness, Naina ran her fingers through his hair softly, one thought in her mind as she tried to work out how she should phrase it. Finally, finding the courage, she spoke up.

"So when are you taking me for a honeymoon?" she asked, and even though he tried not to react, she could feel Raj's grip around her waist tighten, his body momentarily become tense and then relaxing.

"Whenever you like," he told her, "Just tell me when and…"

"We have three days off college in two week's time." She informed him, "Along with the weekend that would be five days, if you're able to get leave then…"

Raj kissed her shoulder softly, and then lifting his head, looked her directly in the eye. "Are you sure?" he asked her, "Because there's no hurry…"

"No," Naina told him, confident now, but still blushing slightly, "I'm sure."

Trying very hard not to grin, Raj got up from the bed, straightened his clothes and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Naina asked him, slightly confused.

"To ask Brigadier Chandook for some leave," Raj informed her, "The sooner I do so, the more likely I am to get it." And with a shy grin in her direction, he left the room.

Sitting on the bed, Naina smiled, trying to stop herself from blushing. She knew that Raj had been waiting for a sign from her, and finally today, she had given it. Because while she might be a little nervous, she was well and truly ready to take their relationship to the next step.

She loved him, and she trusted him. Nothing could be more right.

/

Pooja has been unusually quiet all day, so quiet in fact that Yudi was starting to get worried that something had happened to her.

"Just leave her be," Aalekh advised him, "If she's talking less then maybe she's thinking more."

Finally, around dinner time, she made an announcement to all of them, although anybody watching closely could see very easily that she was watching one person's reactions in particular.

"From today nobody is to send me any sms's about Rohit." She told them, "I'm deleting him from my phone's memory and I don't need my inbox filled with any more junk mail from now on. Naina and Sherry are right, why trust somebody who has cut your call and gone out of network in the past?" Having announced this she glanced at Ali as if to check what his reaction was, trying not to look pleased when she saw a small smile coming to his face which he tried to hide.

"Bole to… well done, Punjaben." Aalekh tells her, "Today for the first time you've done something sensible. Just don't change your mind if he ever comes back."

Ali started to look worried at this, but Pooja just laughed. "If he ever comes back, then the only thing he'll be getting from me is a slap or a whack from my hockey stick." She announced, and Huda cheered her.

"That's spoken like a true Punjaben." He told her, and the rest of them agreed, slapping her on the back. Ali was the only one who was quiet, but the tiny smile on his face was obvious to everyone.

"Now's your chance," Huda whispered to Ali, putting an arm around his shoulders, "Go and tell her how you feel before she finds someone else."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," Ali replied, shrugging off Huda's arm, "And it would be better if you didn't suggest things like this in future."

Huda rolled his eyes and Aalekh and Yudi exchanged knowing glances. Even with this much progress, it was very obvious that it was going to take a long time for those two to ever get their act together.

/

It was the next day when Abhi spotted Sherry in the hallway, but rather than stopping to talk to him as she usually did, she gave him a brief smile and tried to walk past, just as she had ever since he talked to her at the lake.

"Stop, Cadet Sherry." He called out to her, and reluctantly she turned around. "You're avoiding me for some reason, aren't you?" he asked.

"No Sir, not at all. I was just…" she trailed off. "Fine, yes." She told him, crossing her arms over her chest as if challenging him to ask her why.

Abhi sighed, having already guessed it.

"Sherry, I know you don't want to talk about what's happened in the past, and I respect that. I'm not going to ask you again." He reassured her, "If you want to tell me then I'm here to listen, if you don't, then I'm not going to force you to, you don't need to avoid me."

Slowly, she uncrossed her arms, looking at him thoughtfully, "Fine, no more avoiding." Sherry told him, "Then what am I supposed to talk to you about? The latest gossip among the cadets about Suriji and Lolitaji? Huda's latest plan to make me fall desperately in love with him?" She rolled her eyes at the last statement.

Abhi shrugged, "It's your choice." He told her, just glad to see that she didn't look upset for once, "How about music? You've been doing well in my class, I was wondering if you've had any training before now."

"Well like most daughters of rich fathers, I learnt music when I was younger." Sherry admitted, "But I don't much like most classical music, I prefer rock music."

"Well what have you been listening to lately?" he asked as they continued walking down the hallway together, happy that at least she was opening up about something, if not her past.

"I bought a CD of Salman Ahmed on the weekend…" Sherry told him, "And then I hid it, thinking that if Major Nair found out he'd get me kicked out of the academy for listening to a Pakistani singer."

She crossed her arms again as if daring Abhimanyu to tell her she shouldn't be listening to that type of music.

He just laughed, "Well Major Nair probably would have that view, but I never have. As soldiers it's not our job to hate anybody in another country. While we should always be prepared for war, at the same time we should be working towards peace. We should never want to have any enmity with anyone, and music can be a powerful way to increase friendship between countries."

"Well thank god you think that way," Sherry replied, "Just make sure you don't tell Major Nair, otherwise I'm worried that my CD collection might be in danger from misguided patriotism."

"So will you lend me the CD?" Abhi asked her, "I don't have it and I wouldn't mind listening to it."

"Sure," Sherry told him, "I didn't know that you would like that type of music."

"Well I may be in the army, but I've never approved of war or violence…" Abhi started telling her, "And you know I still remember how impressed I was with both Junoon and Euphoria for starting a new call for friendship…"

They continued their conversation as they walked down the corridor, Sherry for once talking animatedly without any reservations about her favourite singers and her own views on music. Abhi couldn't help but smile as he watched her, because finally she reminded him of the girl he had met at their graduation, happy and enthusiastic about life.

Along with Raj and Naina, he would do his best to bring that girl back.

/

Raj dropped Naina to the bus which would take them to the medical camp, his reluctance to let her go obvious.

"Relax," she told him with a smile, "I'll be home in four days, and in the meantime you can call me as often as you want…" she suddenly decided it might be best to rephrase that, "Okay… maybe as often as you want when I'm not actually on duty."

"But I'm going to miss you terribly," he told her, "I'm so used to having you with me now, I've become a bit co-dependent."

Naina laughed at this, and touched his face gently, wanting to do more but knowing they were in full view of her classmates.

"And how do you think I'll be able to cope without you?" she asked him, "For the next four days I'll be surrounded by girls who all want to ask me about my gorgeous husband."

Raj grinned at this, and before she could stop him, he leaned over and kissed her briefly. 

"Well there's one more thing for them to talk about." He told her mischievously, and Naina climbed out of the jeep, trying to hide a grin at his behaviour.

Despite her protests, Raj carried her bag to the bus, handing it to the person putting them away before he turned and hugged her to him tightly.

Naina hugged him back, knowing that she was going to be teased about this once she boarded the bus but not caring.

"Make sure you eat properly while I'm gone," she told him, "And go to sleep on time, and look after your health and…"

Raj grinned at her, and Naina suddenly stopped, realising how she must be sounding.

"Don't worry," Raj replied, "I'll do all those things. You look after yourself too, and send me an sms to let me know you've arrived safely."

Naina nodded, and then impulsively stood on tip toe to kiss his cheek, before hugging him one last time and getting into the bus.

Raj waited until the bus is out of sight before he left, driving back to the academy. He was informed that Brigadier Chandook wanted to see him, and headed straight to his office.

"Captain Rajveer, your leave has been granted." Brigadier Chandook told him, "Just make sure that you arrive back at the academy on time afterwards."

"Thank you very much, Sir!" Raj told him enthusiastically before calming himself, "I mean, it's greatly appreciated."

Brigadier Chandook nodded in reply, and Raj left the office, heading towards a class with the second year students, and running into Sherry on the way.

What surprised him, was that she seemed to be humming a tune under her breath.

"Has Bhabhi left for her camp?" she asked Raj, and he nodded. "Make sure you let me know when she's arrived safely." Sherry told him and Raj realised that for once, she seemed a bit more relaxed, a bit happier.

"Of course I will," he told her, "If you like you can talk to her on the phone tonight when I call."

"That would be good," Sherry answered him with a small smile, and began to walk off, humming the same tune.

Watching her go, Raj smiled, he didn't know why it was that she suddenly seemed happier, but he was glad that she did.

Despite the fact that he would only see Naina again after four days, Raj suddenly felt that it wasn't such a bad day. First his request for leave had been granted, and now he'd seen his sister look happy after such a long time.

Unable to resist, Raj began to hum as well.


	31. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty

Naina was listening to one of their instructors speak when she felt the mobile in her pocket buzz yet again, letting her know that she had another message. She was glad she had remembered to set the phone to silent mode otherwise she would've been in serious trouble at the rate that Raj kept sending her messages.

She had still been on the bus when he had called the first time, and knowing that her friends were going to be listening intently, she had picked up the phone, slightly embarrassed.

"Have you arrived yet?" he had asked her, and Naina had tried not to smile, unable to guess whether he had called her because he was genuinely worried or simply because he wanted to hear her voice.

"Not yet," she had replied quietly, trying to ignore the attention she was getting, "Another half an hour I think and we'll be there."

"Well make sure you call me or at least sms me once you arrive, I mean…"

"Raj, stop worrying," she scolded him lightly, "Nothing can happen to me in a bus for half an hour more. But yes, I'll call once I arrive and if there's no time then I'll sms."

"I'm not worrying…" he defended himself, and she could tell he was trying not to grin, "Uh… Sherry is! She told me to make sure that you had reached there safely and I don't want to be in trouble with her for failing to do so."

Naina laughed at this, "No, you definitely don't want to be in trouble with Sherry." She agreed, "So I promise that I really will send you a message the moment I step off this bus."

"Alright, I'll call back tonight after you finish… I love you."

"I love you too." Naina replied as quietly as possible with a small grin on her face before hanging up the phone.

Her seatmate nudged her, as the girls sitting around her begin a chorus of 'ooooooooooooos'.

"Stop it guys," Naina told them, blushing slightly, "He's my husband, I'm allowed to tell him I love him on the phone."

"Of course you're allowed to," her seatmate answered jokingly, "It's just that you two are so incredibly cute. I've never seen a couple still so much in love after marriage."

Naina just blushed even more at this, giving the girls more incentive to keep teasing her.

"Poor Naina," one of them remarked, "How is she going to cope being away from him for four whole days?" Which led to another round of giggles.

Naina just shook her head at them, not in the least bit bothered. She had nothing to be ashamed about.

If they had had husbands like Raj… then they would've been acting in exactly the same way.

/

Raj was walking towards his classroom lost in thought when he felt a light tap on his arm and turned around to see his sister smiling at him.

"She's only been gone for three hours, how are you ever going to last three days?" Sherry teased him.

Raj couldn't help but smile back, "I know, I'm a lost case aren't I. What can I do, it's your sister-in-law's magic." He answered, placing an arm around her shoulders as they walked to the classroom.

"Arre Bhaiyya, careful." Sherry told him, "If anybody sees us walking like this then they'll start accusing you of favouritism."

"Let them," Raj remarked, "I'm still not giving you any special marks and you'd better have your latest paper in on time or I'm definitely giving you detention."

Sherry rolled her eyes, "It's almost done. Don't stress, Bhaiyya."

"I'm glad to see you so happy finally," Raj told her sincerely, "I knew you would just need some time to settle in… but you've made friends, haven't you? You are happy here with us?"

"I am…" Sherry admitted slowly, "Don't expect me to be happy all the time. I've been known to have mood swings. Just as long as I know you and Bhabhi are happy… that's enough for me."

He tugged on her braid affectionately, before giving her a slight push through the door to the classroom.

He didn't know what had done it, but he was glad. Now all he could hope for was that she never lost her smile.

/

As Huda and Ali headed towards their group's table at lunch time the next day they saw that there were two available places left to sit… one beside Sherry and the other beside Pooja. Ali was just about to shyly head to the one beside Pooja when Huda very smoothly cut him off, sitting down in it and ignoring the slightly annoyed look that Ali sent him.

Yudi exchanged a curious look with Aalekh, wondering why Huda had given up an opportunity to sit next to Sherry when he hadn't been willing to leave her alone since the moment she arrived. Sherry pretended not to notice anything at all, continuing to eat her food quietly after a slightly sympathetic glance in Ali's direction as he sat down beside her.

"Arre Punjaben, you need more food than that." Huda told her with his trademark grin, "Look at you, so skinny, you know that Punjabis like their women to be a bit plumper than that…"

Pooja looked at him in surprise before shooting a confused glance in Sherry's direction.

"Huda, why are you sending me these sms's?" she asked him, "Why does it matter to you what type of model my handset is?"

"Arre… kya baat hai?" Huda asked, leaning a bit closer to her, "Why can't I send these type of sms's to you? Now that you're finally single, maybe I should show a bit more concern. Don't you think we'd make a good pair Punjaben… you're pretty and I'm handsome, I'm sure that my mummyji would like you a lot."

Sherry glanced across to see Ali gripping his fork very tightly, his knuckles practically white.

"Huda… I think that some sort of virus has entered your phone." Pooja told him very seriously, "You need to put yourself into the shop for a service."

Huda just laughed, not at all deterred.

"Don't worry Punjaben, I know that eventually you'll admit how much you like me, my personality is such… how could you refuse?"

Ali's fork clattered onto the table loudly and very abruptly he stood up and walked away without saying anything.

Pooja gave Huda a disgusted look and picking up her plate, moved into Ali's empty place so that she was now sitting next to Sherry.

"No matter how far away you go, I'll still be in your heart." Huda told her, winking, and then finishing his own plate, walked away whistling.

"Okay… now what was that?" Yudi asked, completely confused.

"Well there are three options for that." Sherry replied calmly, "Number one, Huda really has fallen for Pooja and wants her to be his girlfriend."

Yudi, Aalekh and Pooja all stared at her as if she'd gone absolutely crazy.

"Number two, it's his newest method of trying to get me to fall in love with him, because he thinks it'll make me jealous."

There was a bit of head nodding here, as they all admitted this was quite likely.

"Number three… he's decided to do you a favour and try to make Ali jealous… which seems to have worked." Sherry finished off, before returning to her food.

Pooja suddenly grinned, realising that whatever Huda's intentions were, Ali definitely was showing signs of jealousy.

"Yeh hui na baat!" she exclaimed before she could stop herself, and then looked a bit embarrassed. Turning to Sherry, she asked a bit more quietly, "Do you really think it worked?"

But Sherry was distracted, frowning slightly, because she'd just spotted a certain sari clad woman approaching Abhimanyu and offering him a cup of coffee.

"She never stops does she…" Sherry muttered under her breath, as Pooja stared at her.

"What?" Pooja asked, "Did you say something?"

"Nothing at all," Sherry told her, turning away and back towards Pooja, "And yes, I think it worked. Trust me, Ali was definitely jealous. Just let him think about it for awhile, and soon he'll be ready to tell you how he feels. Let Huda keep flirting if he wants to, but make sure it doesn't seem like you're responding."

"How do you know so much about this?" Pooja asked her, "I thought you weren't interested in boys that much."

Sherry shrugged, "I watch a lot of movies." She finally told Pooja, looking resolutely down at her food and refusing to even glance towards the other table.

Because she was not….

She wouldn't even finish that sentence.

/

"And so have the lessons improved?" Ritu asked Abhi with her best flirtatious smile, "Are the cadets learning to play their instruments more in tune now?"

Abhi smiled, an almost affectionate look coming to his face as he thought of his cadets. "Cadets Yudi and Sherry are both excellent," he told her, "Talented and have a good sense of rhythm. There are some others too who aren't so bad, Cadet Aalekh is wonderful at the harmonica, although he hasn't gotten the hang of any other instruments yet. Cadet Huda, unfortunately, seems to want to put a Bhangra beat into everything, even ragas."

Ritu laughed at this, making certain that she looked suitably amused. "So I take it that you have your favourite students already then?" she asked him.

"I try not to have favourites…" Abhi replied seriously, "I believe that all students should be encouraged equally, that in fact those who are not doing as well should be encouraged even more."

"Then you must be an excellent teacher," Ritu praised him, making sure that it was in exactly the right flattering tone.

"All I can do is try," Abhi replied, "Whether I succeed or not will prove whether I'm a good teacher or not."

"And you know Captain Rajveer from a long time ago, don't you?" she asked him, "I've heard that you attended KMA together."

"Yes, we were best friends while at the academy… we drifted apart for awhile, but now that we're back together again, I don't think that anything will ever be able to separate us again."

This last line frustrated Ritu, as long as Abhimanyu was close to Raj, it decreased her chances of gaining the triggers. If she could find some way of separating the two of them then Abhimanyu would be more likely to confide in her, become closer to her…

"And you only found out about his marriage recently?" she asked with a tone of disbelief, "I would've thought that of all people he would've at least confided in you."

"He would've had his reasons," Abhi answered, although there was a slight note of uncertainty in his tone. "And I think they had both agreed to keep it a secret."

Ritu shrugged as if to imply 'whatever you say'.

"Well… just remember, anytime you need to talk, I'm here." She offered to him, "And that offer of a tour of Ambala is still open…"

Then she glided off out of the canteen.

Pooja noticed Sherry glaring at Ritu as she walked past them and shook her slightly. "What is it?" she asked.

"I was just considering whether I should stick out my leg to trip her or not." Sherry answered with a shrug, "And then decided that it would be a bit too immature."

"But why don't you like Dr. Ritu?" Pooja asked her, confused, "She's so…"

"Hot." Yudi finished, and then looked a bit embarrassed.

"Because I'm a girl… and I don't like people just because they're hot." Sherry replied, shaking her head slightly at Yudi, "And so far I see no reason to like her or trust her at all."

"Why not?" Yudi asked, "You must have some reason."

"Because every time I see her she's wearing a sari." Sherry replied stubbornly, "This is a military academy, not the set of some saas bahu serial."

It was Yudi's turn to shake his head in disbelief, and he got up, signalling that he'd see them later.

But Aalekh remained seated, looking at Sherry thoughtfully.

"Bole to… apun bhi…" he started to say, and then stopped suddenly, frowning.

Because there had been a moment on the mentorship camp, when they had found out about Naina that he had thought…

But he couldn't speak on that basis alone.

The three of them stood up and headed towards the exit, running into Abhimanyu on the way who smiled at all of them.

"So are you ready for my class, cadets?" he asked them, "Remember to be on time."

"Of course, Sir!" Pooja told him enthusiastically, still not completely over her crush on him, "In fact I'll go and get my music books right now."

She left, and Aalekh and Sherry remained with him.

"And you Aalekh, are you ready to learn a new tune today?" Abhi asked him cheerfully, "You've been picking everything up so fast, I'm really impressed."

"Thanks… Sir." Aalekh told him, "Actually… I don't mind this music. It reminds me when I was in jail, and I used to play my mouth organ, it would help me forget where I really was, almost like an escape."

Sherry and Abhi both looked at him for a minute, as if surprised that he'd revealed that much, and then Aalekh abruptly walked away, leaving them alone together.

Sherry crossed her arms over her chest, looking at him almost challengingly, and Abhi tried to figure out what it was that she thought he had done wrong.

"Ah," he finally said, figuring it out. "Don't blame me for that, I wasn't ignoring your advice, but I can't be rude to somebody, especially when they bring me coffee."

"What if the coffee was drugged, or poisoned?" Sherry asked him, raising one eyebrow.

"Well then I would probably be killed by my own good manners." Abhi joked, trying to improve her mood, much happier when he saw her trying to hide a smile.

"I'm not warning you without reason you know," she told him, "I can always tell about people, and she… You need to be careful of her."

"Really? And what makes you think that?" Abhi asked, humouring her.

"Who in their right mind would choose to wear a sari every day unless they had an ulterior motive?" Sherry asked him, "Why is she taking that much effort to dress up in a military academy?"

"Good point," Abhi agreed with her, "Maybe she really does have her eye on me."

And he grinned, just to let her know it was a joke.

"I wish you would take me seriously," Sherry told him, "Fine, don't believe it, just wait and see."

"Anyway let's forget about whether Dr. Mishra has her eye on me or not," Abhi said dismissively, "How are you today? And have you spoken to your Bhaiyya yet?"

"I'm fine today," Sherry told him, brightening up "In fact I'm better than fine because for some strange reason Huda has decided that rather than flirting with me he's going to flirt with Pooja, which is quite amusing. As for Bhaiyya, he's currently looking as if his pet dog died, and is working up quite a phone bill sending messages to Naina at least every ten minutes."

Abhi laughed at this, and continuing to discuss Raj's state, they headed towards the classroom.

/

Shalini tried hard not to laugh as Raj checked his watch for what must have been the tenth time in two minutes.

"Really Captain Rajveer, there's only an hour until she's scheduled to get back." She told him, "I can't believe you… after only four days you're this anxious. What are you going to do if you're assigned a mission where you have to be away from her for a long time?"

"Don't even suggest that," Raj said seriously, "I know that the day will come eventually, but I'm hoping that it will be later rather than sooner."

"So are you going to go and pick Naina up?" Abhi asked him as they all sat around in Shalini's office after classes had finished for the day. "When will you be leaving?"

"Probably in about fifteen minutes," Raj replied, "I don't want to be late, and in case they're back early…"

Shalini and Abhi exchanged knowing looks, they knew how restless he'd been over the past four days, how eagerly he'd waited for her to return.

"I have no idea how you survived without her for two years." Shalini told him, obviously amused.

"Neither do I…" Raj said without thinking, "Actually that was different, we didn't know each other then so…"

"It's okay, relax, I was just teasing you." Shalini replied, "Just make sure that you always look after her in exactly way the same way that you do now."

"Oh I can promise you of that," Raj said sincerely, "I'll never let anything happen to her, no matter what."

He glanced at his watch again and Abhi sighed and was about to say something when Raj's phone beeped.

Checking it, he grinned and abruptly got up from his seat.

"Naina says they'll be back early," he told them, "I'll leave to pick her up now."

And before either of them could reply, he was already gone.

/

Raj arrived early and parked his jeep under a tree to wait for her. The moment that he saw the bus arriving in the distance, he climbed out, forcing himself to stand there calmly as he waited for it to stop and for all the girls to climb out. Naina was one of the first to come down the steps, and Raj strode forward to meet her, ignoring the girls who are all nudging her, obviously teasing her about him.

He didn't hug her or kiss her as he wished to, well aware that Naina would be embarrassed if he did so. Instead he picked up her bag, placing the strap over his shoulder, and took her hand.

"How was the camp?" he asked as he tried hard not to grin at her.

"It was great!" Naina told him, "Excellent experience, quite tiring though… I didn't sleep much."

He noticed how tired she looked, and squeezed her hand.

"Let's get you home then," he told her, "You can have an early night then tell me everything in the morning."

Naina nodded and after waving goodbye to her friends, the two of them headed for the jeep.

As soon as they'd driven away, Raj turned to her.

"I really missed you," he told her, "Actually everyone at the academy missed you, Suriji was just telling me this afternoon that he was looking forward to you coming back."

Naina smiled at him tiredly, leaning her head back against the seat.

"Do I really need to tell you that I missed you too?" she asked him, "I couldn't even sleep properly without you, I've gotten so used to having you with me."

"Good," Raj replied with a grin, "Then I know you won't want to leave me and go away anywhere in the future. After all, you need to have a good night's sleep."

He glanced over and finding that she had already dozed off, smiled at her adoringly.

Finally stopping the jeep outside KMA, he climbed out. Going around to her side, he touched her face gently and she opened her eyes.

"Do you want me to carry you inside?" he asked, only half joking, and Naina shook her head resolutely.

"No," she told him, "But you can give me your arm for me to lean on."

Raj obligingly offered her his arm, and she took it, half leaning against his shoulder as they made their way to their room.

Once inside, he put her bag down as she kicked off her shoes, and without waiting for anything else, climbed straight into bed.

He was about to leave the room when she stopped him, calling out from behind.

"Won't you stay with me?" she asked him sleepily, "I told you I can't sleep properly without you."

"Then consider me your personal pillow." He told her, kicking off his own shoes and climbing into bed beside her.

Taking him seriously, Naina pulled him closer, so that in the end she was half sprawled across his chest, her head resting above his heart, one arm around his waist and her legs tangled with his.

Within a few minutes she'd drifted off to sleep, as Raj could tell by her deep breathing, he settled his own arm around her shoulders but didn't close his eyes just yet.

After four days, for now he just wished to watch her to his heart's content.


	32. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty One

Hearing a knock at the door, Naina put her packing to one side and went to open it, pleasantly surprised to see Sherry there.

"You knocked," she commented with a smile, teasing her sister-in-law.

Sherry smiled back at this, "I've definitely learnt my lesson, Bhabhi." Sherry told her, "I don't want to take the risk of walking in on you and Bhaiyya like that ever again."

Naina tried not to blush, remembering exactly how she had walked in on them, and gestured for her to come inside, leading her to the bedroom where there were two open suitcases and piles of clothes waiting to be packed.

"You're packing already," Sherry commented, "You're not due to leave until tomorrow afternoon."

"I know," Naina replied, "But there will be no time to do it tomorrow, so I might as well do it now before Raj comes back."

Sherry watched her as she packed for both herself and Raj, including some outfits for colder weather such as jeans and sweaters.

"Where is Bhaiyya?" Sherry asked curiously, "I haven't seen him since class finished this afternoon."

"I think he had some details to go over with Abhimanyu before we leave…" Naina told her, "You know, about the classes and drills he'll be missing."

Sherry nodded at this, looking down she began to sort through a pile of clothes absentmindedly as if inspecting them.

Naina made a gesture for her to pass the pile, taking two tries to get her attention.

Finally realising what her sister-in-law wanted, Sherry smiled and passed the pile to Naina.

"So you must be looking forward to some time alone with Bhaiyya," Sherry commented, intent on teasing her Bhabhi as much as possible. "At least in Shimla you won't have to worry about anybody walking in on you."

Naina laughed at this, "No we won't," she agreed, "But that doesn't mean we won't be missing you while we're gone."

"I would be a bit worried if you both spent your honeymoon missing me," Sherry remarked with a frown, "Surely you should both have better things to do than that."

Naina laughed at this, looking slightly embarrassed, and continued her packing as Sherry sat on the side of the bed, passing her things.

"Bhabhi... you didn't really know Bhaiyya when you married him, did you?" Sherry finally asked, still seeming a bit distracted, looking in the direction of the window.

"No, I didn't." Naina told her, "We got married after one meeting… but he used to write letters which I would read, so by the time I came here, I felt as if I knew him slightly."

"But looking at the two of you today, anyone would think it was a love marriage." Sherry remarked, turning back around to face Naina, "So when was it that you fell in love with him? How did you know?"

Naina smiled as the memories came flooding back to her. "It was a gradual process…" she told Sherry, "First we had to get to know each other… become friends… trust each other. And then there were these small moments, things that he used to do for me, to try and make me happy, make me comfortable… and before I knew it I had fallen for him."

Sherry nodded thoughtfully as if considering it, a strange look appearing on her face. Then suddenly she smiled, "But I'm sure that Bhaiyya must have fallen for you the moment he saw you." She teased, and Naina blushed again, shrugging slightly but not denying it.

"So why the sudden need to know?" Naina asked, intending to tease her back, "Is there somebody that you like?"

Sherry opened her mouth as if to speak, and then just as suddenly laughed, as if at herself.

"Do I seem like that type of girl to you, Naina?" she replied, passing another pile of clothes.

There was something about her manner that made Naina want to ask again, but she heard the sound of the door to their quarters opening and within a few seconds Raj had entered the room.

She practically beamed as she saw him, unable to stop the smile coming to her face, or her eyes lighting up. Just as helpless to hide his emotions, Raj couldn't help a grin coming to his face as he saw her sitting with the open suitcases on the bed.

Sherry observed them both, an amused smile on her face, and then quietly stood up, intent on making her way out of the room.

"I'll leave you both to your packing," she told them, "I've got an assignment to work on for Lolitaji."

Naina and Raj both called out their goodbyes to her as she left, making sure to close the door securely behind her.

"How is the packing going?" Raj asked, "Do you need any help? I would've come back earlier but there was quite a lot to discuss with Chauhan before we leave…"

"Actually I have it all under control," Naina told him, "It's probably a good thing that you were away this long so I could get most of it done."

"Are you suggesting that I would've gotten in the way?" Raj asked her with a mock frown, pretending to be offended.

"Would I ever suggest such a thing?" Naina replied with an innocent look, placing the last piles of clothes into both the suitcases before zipping them up. As moved to lift them off the bed, Raj stepped forward, taking them from her and placing them by the door.

"See, I did turn out to be useful." He told her with a mischievous grin, and she shook her head at him.

"So what time are we leaving tomorrow?" Naina asked Raj as he came to sit down on the bed beside her, winding one arm around her waist and leaning over to kiss her on the cheek before brushing some of her hair behind her ear.

"I'll come and pick you up from college and then we'll leave directly from there." Raj tells her, "It's quite a long drive so I want to get started as soon as possible, so that we're not arriving too late."

Naina leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder, and he tightened his grip around her waist, leaning his head on top of hers.

They sat like that for a few minutes, content simply to hold each other, until Naina moved to get up only to be pulled back down again by Raj who tugged on her hand.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, trying to pull her closer again.

"Have you forgotten that it's time for my English lesson with Aalekh?" Naina reminded him with a raised eyebrow, "And since we're away for five days I need to give him extra homework while I'm gone."

"Have I ever told you how incredibly sweet you are?" he replied, still tugging on her hand to bring her closer.

"You can tell me after I get back," she replied teasingly, still trying to pull her hand out of his grip.

"Just one kiss and I'll let you go." Raj promised, trying to tug her back towards him, as Naina pretended to resist.

"Just one, alright?" She agreed, feigning reluctance.

Grinning, Raj stood up, once again pulling on her hand so that she was jerked back to him, her hands coming to rest on his chest. Placing his arms behind her back, he leaned down, bringing his mouth to hers, and just as their lips touched he suddenly dipped her down towards the floor, kissing her thoroughly without taking a breath before swinging her back up.

Naina placed one hand to her head, slightly dizzy from the experience and looked at him accusingly.

"It was still just one kiss." Raj told her with a shrug, and she could no longer pretend to be annoyed, knocking her shoulder against his playfully while she was on the way out.

/

The next day the cadets had a ten minute break during Major Nair's drill and were resting on the grass, trying to catch their breath.

"Punjaben, you look even more beautiful when you're all flushed from running." Huda told her cheerfully, "I swear the next time my mummyji comes to visit I'm introducing you specially to her, just wait and see, my mummyji and daddyji will talk to yours, and everything will be perfect." He turned to the rest of them, "But I'm expecting that all of you should be from my side at the wedding, I want everybody to be dancing in the baarat." He informed them.

Most of them rolled their eyes at his ridiculousness, Ali angrily picking grass out of the ground before shredding it in his hands. Huda tried to hide a smile at his reaction before turning to see Sherry's, disappointed when he found her gazing into the distance, not paying attention at all.

"Especially you, Ms Sherry," he told her, "You definitely have to dance in my baarat."

"Hmmm," Sherry replied, and for a moment he thought she hadn't been listening until he heard the next sentence. "The groom's relatives dance in the baarat right? So just let me get a rakhi, and we'll make it official right now."

She raised her eyebrow at him, and Huda started to look nervous.

"No, no, no need for that." He told her, "The groom's friends dance too…" he was about to give more excuses when Yudi pointed out that their ten minutes were almost up and they should get ready to resume the drill.

Everybody else left, but Huda was held back by Ali who had an uncharacteristically angry look on his face.

"Why are you doing this Hudabhai?" Ali asked him, "You know that… I mean, I know that you don't like Pooja in that way."

"Don't I?" Huda asked him suggestively, "Why not? Punjaben is a good looking girl, why shouldn't I try flirting with her? She's single now after all."

"Because you know that… that I…." Ali stared at him frustrated, unable to quite bring himself to say it. "You know why!" he finally finished, glaring at Huda.

"Maybe you should make it a bit more clear to me, and to Pooja too." Huda suggested to him, "After all… today it's just me, by tomorrow there might be a whole line of admirers waiting for our Punjaben."

Beginning to whistle, he left Ali standing there frustrated, unable to decide whether he should follow Huda's advice or not.

/

"Seriously, don't worry, Raj." Abhi told him, as his friend prepared to leave the academy. "I'm more than capable of handling everything here. Just enjoy your honeymoon and don't even think of KMA while you're gone."

Raj nodded, knowing that Abhi would be able to protect the triggers safely on his own while Raj was gone.

"You're right…" Raj agreed, "I am worrying needlessly. I promise, I won't think about work at all while I'm gone, but if there's an emergency you can call me."

"I won't be calling you." Abhi told him, a set look on his face.

They hugged each other and then Raj turned to embrace Sherry.

"Please don't get into trouble while I'm away." He told her, and she nodded.

"I'll try not to…" she replied, "But no promises."

"Just go and have fun," Shalini advised him, "and tell Naina that I hope she has a wonderful holiday."

"Yes, do have a wonderful time." Dr. Mishra interrupted, coming to stand next to Abhi as they farewelled Raj, "We'll be waiting for you to come back."

Sherry tried not to glare at the woman, waving goodbye to her brother instead. As soon as Raj had driven off, she headed back inside, wanting to be as far away from the psychiatrist as possible. Abhi and Shalini followed her inside as well, leaving Ritu to watch the car disappear into the distance, a calculating smile on her face.

Now with Captain Rajveer gone, she would have to see exactly how much she could get accomplished in five days.

/

After picking Naina up from college, they began driving, stopping only occasionally to stretch their legs and eat dinner.

They chatted as Raj drove, both of them admiring the scenery and Raj was relieved to notice that Naina didn't seem nervous. Instead she talked happily with him about what had happened at college that day and about what she had heard about Shimla and hoped to see there.

"I heard there's an excellent museum on the Indian Army's history there." Raj remarked enthusiastically, and Naina glanced at him and then looked out the window, struggling not to laugh. "What?" he asked her confused.

"We're going on our honeymoon and you want to go to a museum about the history of the Indian Army?" she asked in disbelief, "Can't you think of anything better to do?"

"I can think of many…" Raj suddenly stopped mid sentence, trying not to blush at his own thoughts and noticed that Naina had turned quite red as well, obviously not having intended to phrase it that way.

"I mean…" he continued with a slight cough, "I've heard that there's some beautiful places to go walking or hiking, waterfalls… hills… I hope you've packed something suitable for both of us if we want to go out hiking. That is… if it's something that you would enjoy."

"I wouldn't mind going hiking," Naina told him, "As long as you go at a fairly slow pace. Bhaiyya and I always used to go out walking while we were on holidays when we were younger, exploring…"

She smiled then, lost in her own memories.

The drive was a long one and by the time they had reached Shimla, Naina had already drifted off to sleep, dozing lightly in her seat. Raj stopped the car in front of the hotel he had chosen, one of the heritage hotels in the area, and allowed the luggage to be taken inside before he woke Naina, laying one hand on her shoulder and using the other one to touch her cheek lightly.

She woke up, smiling up at him sleepily.

"Have we arrived?" she asked with a slight yawn and Raj nodded, offering her a hand to help her out of the car.

She stood, stretching, and he locked the car before taking her hand, leading her inside.

After getting the keys from reception, they headed up to their room, Naina unable to help herself from looking around in amazement at the beautiful furnishings. Wandering out onto the small balcony, she placed her hands on the railings, sighing as she admired what she can could of the view in the dark of the night.

Returning inside, Naina reached out and took Raj's hand. "This place is beautiful," she told him, "Thank you."

As she smiled up at him, Raj struggled with his feelings. Finally they were alone, in such a beautiful place, and Naina… was willing to consummate their marriage. He wanted her so much… had wanted her for months, patiently waiting for this moment. However he knew that she was tired, he was tired as well…

And when he'd waited for this long already, what difference would one more night make?

So he bent down and kissed Naina's cheek before pushing her slightly in the direction of the bathroom.

"Go and wash up and then we'll go to sleep," he told her, "We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."

Naina's eyes widened in understanding, knowing he was indicating that nothing would happen between them tonight, slightly relieved because after such a long journey she was dreadfully tired.

After getting ready she climbed into bed, waiting for him to do the same. When he finally did, he pulled her close to him, tightly, almost possessively, his chin resting against her shoulder, his arm around her waist.

And when he slipped his hand beneath the fabric of her t-shirt to lie against her skin, Naina felt no nervousness, instead marvelling at the feel of his hand against her stomach, smooth and yet powerful, the strength held in reserve. If anything she had an increased feeling of expectation, because finally she was waiting for the same moment he had waited for.

He made her complete, she had known this for a long time now.

Now it was time to make their relationship complete.


	33. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty Two

"I love you," he mumbled, his face pressed against her neck so that she could feel his lips moving against her as he said it.

Naina pressed him to her even more tightly, his hair brushing against his face. "I love you too…" she whispered, smiling at the familiarity of it.

Because he had said it at least once a minute since… well, since… she began to blush even at the thought of it, of what they'd both just done.

As she pressed him to her, she could feel the warmth of his bare body against hers, the muscles of his back smooth under her fingers and slightly damp from sweat.

He pressed himself even closer to her, planting a kiss on her neck that made her shiver, giving her memories of… and Naina once again blushed as she remembered what had happened earlier in the morning.

She had awoken to find him watching her, propped up on one arm with a smile on his face. She smiled back sleepily, reaching up to touch his face and smoothing back his hair.

"When did you wake up?" she asked him, "How long have you been watching me?"

"About half an hour ago…" he told her, "And I've been watching you from the moment that I opened my eyes."

He had reached out to trace the line of her cheek with one finger, curling his fingers to caress her face lightly, and she had leaned into his touch, sighing happily.

"You do know how much I love you, don't you?" Raj asked her, now trailing his hand across her shoulder and then down her arm, sending a shiver down Naina's spine, as goosebumps were raised on her arm.

"Yes.." she had whispered, "I know…" and she had raised one hand to touch his face tenderly, finally brushing his hair back, and settling her arm comfortably around his neck to bring him closer.

He had leaned in to kiss her, brushing his lips against hers in a feather light caress before deepening it, when Naina brought her second arm up to rest on his back, bringing him closer to her. He had rolled over so that he was now over her, his body propped up by one arm as he continued to trail the other down her arm before grasping her hand.

And when he had kissed her again, their mouths meeting in a sweet, tangled confusion, she had known that this was the moment they had both been waiting for.

So when his hand moved down to her hip, slipping beneath her top to rest on her skin, she had let hers mirror his, tugging at his singlet to gain access to his skin.

His kisses had become more heated after that point, as he had for the first time allowed his hands to roam her body freely and she had done the same, eventually removing his singlet entirely.

He had paused, raising himself slightly to be able to look her directly in the eye, his breathing ragged.

"Naina…" he had whispered, looking in her eyes to find consent, to check that really, she was sure…

And she had nodded, just once, before reaching up with a hand to bring his lips down again to meet hers, kissing him with so much fervour and passion that he could be left in no doubt of her consent.

She had been nervous yes, but as he had removed her clothes slowly, almost reverently, continuing to kiss her, the nervousness had gradually been replaced by both excitement and desire.

And when the moment had finally come…

She started blushing again at the very thought, gathering him even closer in her arms.

"Stop blushing," Raj murmured against her skin, still with his head tucked into the crook of her neck.

"How do you know I'm blushing?" Naina asked him, tilting her head to look downwards so that she was now meeting his eyes.

"I can see your skin change colour," he told her with a mischievous smile, and Naina blushed even harder at this.

"So you've been staring at my neck all this time?" she asked him jokingly, pretending to be upset.

"I've been marking all the places on it that I want to kiss." He told her, grinning as she blushed again. "You're incredibly cute when you blush."

"Are we going to get up today at all?" she asked him, trying to change the topic away from her blushing.

"Only if you want to." Raj told her, "I'm more than happy to stay here." And as if to prove his point, he tightened his arm around her waist, bringing her closer.

"I would be happy to stay here all day too," she told him, "But I am beginning to get hungry."

Letting go of her, Raj rolled over to check the clock on the bedside table, before turning back again. "It's almost lunch time," he informed her, "We should probably get something to eat, would you prefer to order some room service or go out somewhere?"

"Why don't we go out somewhere?" Naina asked him, willing herself not to begin blushing again at the thought of staying in the room. "We can look around town briefly and then…"

"And then?" Raj asked her with one eyebrow raised, a mischievous grin on his face once again.

"Stop it," Naina told him playfully, "If you keep talking to me like this then we'll never get out of the room. Then what will I tell everybody when they ask me what Shimla was like?"

"You can tell them that the hotel room in Shimla was very nice," Raj responded, still joking, "And the rest you can just make up."

She laughed, and moved out of his reach before he could grasp her again, getting out of the bed and slipping her shirt over her head shyly, unable to miss him gazing in her direction with a decidedly heated look.

"I'll just get ready," she told him, grabbing some clothes and heading for the bathroom.

Raj rolled onto his back and couldn't help but grin.

He loved her so incredibly much.

He really did.

/

Half an hour later they were strolling down the streets in Shimla hand in hand, enjoying the scenery and searching for a place to eat. Finally finding a café, they sat down to order, Raj reaching out to hold Naina's hand again, caressing it softly with his fingers as they waited.

She gazed at him with so much adoration that he couldn't help but notice it, raising her hand to press a soft kiss on her knuckles.

"Is there anything in particular that you want to do today?" he asked, "We can do whatever you like."

"I think it's a bit late in the day for any major activities." Naina told him, "Maybe today we can just look around town or even go and see that museum you wanted to go to."

Raj's eyes lit up at this, "Really?" he asked her, "You don't mind if we go?"

Naina laughed at his enthusiasm, and reached across the table to tap his head playfully, "If it makes you that happy then of course I don't mind." She told him, "If only to see that smile on your face."

"Then tomorrow you can choose what we do." Raj promised her, "Whatever you want, for the entire day."

"I'm going to hold you to that," Naina replied, "But we'll choose something fun for tomorrow."

Their food finally arrived and Raj reluctantly let go of her hand in order to eat, nevertheless unable to stop gazing at her as he did so.

"You must have traveled a lot as part of your duty," Naina commented, "What has your favourite part of India been so far?"

"Ladakh," Raj replied without hesitation, "It's beautiful there, the air is so clean, and the mountains… it's a very special place. I'll definitely take you there one day."

"I would like that," Naina told him, "I've heard a lot about it… maybe we can go there next holiday?"

"It might be awhile before I can get leave again," Raj told her, "You'll soon find out that it's not easy being the wife of a soldier. KMA is a far more relaxed posting, in other places it might not be as good. At least I can be sure that anytime except wartime you'll be able to accompany me to where I'm posted. But still, I hope that you won't end up regretting marrying me if I'm often away from home."

"Of course I won't," Naina told him, "I could never regret it, what you've given me… you've given me every happiness that I could ever have hoped for. Before you came into my life I had no hope, I was only living for my parents' sake, and after you… I've had everything I could wish for, everything I could ask for."

He reached out to take her hand again, squeezing it, and when the bill came he paid it before taking Naina's hand to lead her out.

This time as they strolled down the street he put his arm around her shoulders comfortably, holding her close by to him, as they made their way to the museum he wanted to visit.

Going to a museum about the history of the Indian Army wasn't exactly Naina's idea of a perfect way to spend her honeymoon, but the enthusiasm and excitement that came onto Raj's face as he pointed things out to her more than made up for it. He told her stories, explaining the various exhibits and relating them to things that he had experienced in his own career. By the end of their time there she felt that she knew him even better. He loved the army more than anything, and patriotism was truly in his blood.

The sun was just beginning to set as they left, and as they walked back to the hotel, Naina once again took his hand, entwining their fingers and walking as close to him as possible.

She thought that it would be impossible for anybody to love somebody more than she loved him. It was as if he had become a part of her, a vital organ without whom she would die. Naina wondered whether she would ever be able to express this properly to him, ever be able to truly let him know how she felt. He was much more vocal about his feelings than she was, easily telling her that he loved her often, while she was quieter, shyer about saying so.

So instead she resolved to attempt to show him how much she loved him, for every day of the rest of their lives, no matter what.

They were having their dinner at the hotel's restaurant when a thought came to her. "Do you think we should call the academy?" she asked him, "Just to check that everything is okay or not? I mean Sherry is alone there and…"

Raj laughed at this, "Naina, if either of us call to check on her on the first day of our honeymoon then she is going to murder both of us. I think we have to wait until at least tomorrow at the earliest. Seriously, don't worry, Abhi and Shalini are both there to look after her."

Naina nodded, realising that he was right and that she didn't need to be worried. Despite the fact that they were practically the same age she couldn't help but worry about Sherry, feel protective towards her.

"And have I told you that that's another reason that I love you so much?" Raj asked, "From the time you met my sister, you've loved her as if she was yours. You've never gotten offended by her bad moods, always been understanding…"

Naina smiled at this, "I know what it's like to go through tough times, and no matter how she was in the beginning, I knew that eventually she would realise that we both loved her. She's my family too now."

"And that is exactly why I love you." Raj told her, "If you're really worried then we can call tomorrow, but not before then."

"Fine," Naina answered him with a smile, "I have no desire to be murdered either."

They grinned at each other before continuing their dinner.

/

They went back to their suite in silence, an unspoken tension and expectation between them, because now, there was nothing to stop them, nothing to….

When they stepped inside the room, they closed the door before Naina took the tie out of her hair, letting it flow freely. She tried to hide her smile as Raj came up behind her, brushing her loose hair away from her neck, before leaning down to plant soft kisses from her jawbone down to her shoulder.

"I told you that I had marked all of the places I wished to kiss." He murmured, encircling her waist with his arms, before kissing along her shoulder, slipping the sleeve of her top down slightly in order to gain greater access.

Naina took a shuddering breath, as the fingers of his left hand grasped hers, his right arm securely around her waist, and he continued to kiss along her shoulder before making his way back to her neck.

She could barely speak she was filled with so much desire for him, and she spun in his arms so that she was now facing him, meeting his lips with a new found confidence as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt before slipping it off his shoulders.

This time when he tugged her top off, slipping it over her head, there was no nervousness, this time she was prepared and willing for what would happen next.

This time….

All that was left to do was melt into his arms.

And she did that more than willingly.


	34. Chapter 33

Chapter Thirty Three

The academy seemed emptier without Raj and Naina, and as much as she would never admit it to anyone, Sherry was actually happy when she was called to the phone on the second day of their honeymoon, and told that it was her brother.

"Hi Bhaiyya, how are you?" she greeted him, "How's the honeymoon going?"

"It's going great," Raj replied, "How are things at KMA? Are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," she told him, "And so I don't want you calling up again before you come back. Just enjoy yourselves and don't worry about anything here."

"But Sherry…"

"I said don't worry, Bhaiyya! Now pass the phone to Bhabhi."

She could hear the sound of the phone being passed and then Naina's quiet hello.

"Hi Naina!" Sherry greeted her, "Just wanted to check that you're actually having a good time there, how's the Shimla weather?"

"It's beautiful here," Naina told her, and Sherry could easily hear the happiness in her voice. "We'll have to bring you here with us one day to show you."

Sherry laughed at this, "Thanks Bhabhi, but I don't think I want to be stuck in the middle of a honeymooning couple. You two enjoy yourselves and I'll see you when you're back! Bye!"

She hung up the phone quickly before Naina could say anything else, wanting to ensure that they did only spend their holidays relaxing and not worrying about her or anything else.

"Raj and Naina calling to check on you?" A voice asked her from behind and she spun around, turning to face him.

"Apparently both of them have forgotten the fact that I'm almost exactly the same age as Naina and more than capable of looking after myself." Sherry responded with a raised eyebrow, "I thought I would talk to them this time, but if they call again then I'm going to refuse to come to the phone."

"Good idea," Abhimanyu told her with a warm smile, "I'll answer it for you instead and tell them both to stop acting like a worried old couple."

Sherry laughed at this, picturing her brother and sister-in-law as an aged, worrying couple. "I would never tell them…" she said, "But sometimes… it's nice to know that they care enough to worry about me." She smiled a bit wistfully and then looked at him in surprise as if she hadn't meant to admit so much.

"Well if that's the case then even I'm happy to tell you that I care enough to worry about you." Abhi told her, suddenly becoming serious, "There are more people that do than you might think."

Sherry stared at him for a minute and then shook her head slightly, "You shouldn't…" she told him, "You'll have more worries than you could ever want. It's better not to." And once again her smile was more wistful than happy.

"I can deal with a few worries," Abhi told her, "It's more important for me to know that you're happy."

"My happiness isn't important…" Sherry replied, her expression changing, "And I've realised a long time ago, that perhaps it's not written in my destiny."

"Then I'll write it there," Abhi told her, incredibly serious, reaching out one hand to rest on her shoulder. "You might be willing to give up, but I promise I won't until your fate has been changed."

There was a moment when Sherry did not move, gazing briefly at him and then at the hand on her shoulder. Then she smiled, the saddest smile he'd ever seen. "Don't promise me things like that when you don't know what it would need." She told him, her gaze steady, unblinking. "Or in trying to rewrite my destiny you might end up affecting yours as well."

Then without explaining her words, she stepped to the side, giving him one last look before she walked away.

Abhi was left staring after her, unable to quite process what it was that she had just said. Every time she seemed to come close to telling him something, hinting at it, before she stopped and walked away. More often these days he found himself thinking about it, wondering about it, worrying about her. In a short period of time her happiness has come to be incredibly important to him and more than anything else right now, he worried that he would fail her somehow.

/

"Well at least she seems fine," Raj remarked after Naina had hung up the phone, "But we've been banned from calling again before we get back."

Naina laughed at this, having expected exactly this reaction from Sherry. "Don't worry," she told him, "We can always call either Shalini or Abhimanyu to check that she's okay. For now I think we should take her advice and enjoy our honeymoon."

Raj nodded, holding out his hand, and she took it immediately, smiling as he enfolded her fingers in his own.

They'd decided to go for a short hike today up to The Glen, one of Shimla's most scenic areas. Both dressed in suitable clothing with comfortable shoes, they walked slowly, chatting on the way. Raj found himself telling Naina about his early childhood before his parents had died and then afterwards how he had come to live with Lala Saheb, his wife and Sherry.

"They never allowed me to miss my parents growing up," he told her, "Lala Saheb was away a lot but his wife always looked after me as if she was my own mother. I had everything that I could ever ask for. If it wasn't for them… then I could never have become what I am today."

"Then I'm grateful to them," Naina told him, "For making you what you are today." She smiled at him, and he returned it before she continued. "I wish I could've met Sherry's mother, she sounds like such a wonderful woman. But I don't know why I feel so nervous about meeting her father, I'm worried that he won't approve of me."

Raj had never told Naina about the phone conversation with Lala about her, and he never intended to either. As much as he respected his godfather, he wasn't going to allow anyone's opinion about his wife to affect them. He didn't like concealing things from her… but he knew that while she hadn't said anything lately she was still worried about his marriage to her affecting his career and reputation.

"Don't worry, Naina," he told her brightly instead, "I thoroughly approve of you." He grinned down at her, pulling her closer to his side and slipping his arm around her shoulders, and she blushed.

"Only approve of me?" she asked mischievously after a moment, "Nothing else?"

"Many, many, many other things as well." Raj told her, "Would you like to me to tell you now or…" He trailed off deliberately, waiting to see her reaction, hiding a smile when she again blushed.

"Not now," she chided him, "We should at least finish the walk first."

When they eventually arrived at their destination, they looked around them, admiring the natural beauty of the place. Raj placed his arm around her shoulder again, while Naina leaned her head on his, indescribably happy that she was here with him in this place.

They found a secluded spot away from the other honeymooning couples and families, and Raj indicated for her to sit down, before joining her on the grass, half lying and propped up on one hand.

"Am I finally allowed to tell you what else?" he asked, reaching out the hand that he wasn't leaning on to take hers, entwining their fingers, "No objections now?"

"None at all." Naina replied, settling down properly beside him, "You can tell me whatever you want to…"

"Then I will," Raj promised her, letting go of her hand to brush back some hair that has escaped from her plait.

He was perfectly happy to spend all afternoon telling her.

/

Finally Ritu had found the perfect opportunity to complete another part of her work. Waiting until the dead of the night when there would be nobody to see her, she made her way to Raj and Naina's room, picking the locks there easily. She searched carefully for any documents that might help her, making certain that nothing she did could be detected, but there was nothing there.

She cursed in frustration, angry that he hadn't left anything behind and wondering where it was hidden. She supposed that Captain Rajveer wouldn't be such a fool as to leave everything behind when anyone could find it, including his wife. Seeing the picture of them together on the bedside table she sneered, such a picture perfect couple made her feel sick.

Making her way back to the outer room, she quickly fixed the bugs in places where they would go unnoticed, expertly hiding them.

Now, if Captain Rajveer said anything of interest, it would be directly transmitted to a team of her people who would analyse every word.

Checking that everything was in its place again, she left the room, locking it and heading back towards her own. Her first work was now completed, the second still remained.

/

While Abhimanyu was having his morning coffee in the mess, Ritu walked up to him, sitting down opposite.

"Good morning, Ritu." He told her, "How is everything going with you?"

"Actually I thought that I should catch you before you made any other plans," she told him sweetly, "I wanted to ask if you would like to accompany me to a movie tonight."

"A movie?" he asked her, surprised, "Why?"

"Why not?" she asked in reply, resisting the urge to roll her eyes, "Why can't we go to see a movie together as friends? It's doesn't have to be a date." She added, in a teasing tone.

There was no good reason at all for Abhimanyu to refuse her, nothing he could think of to say that would justify him refusing to go. But two things stopped him, the first was the knowledge that with Raj gone, he was the only one left in the academy to protect the triggers. The second… was the memory of Sherry telling him not to trust Dr. Ritu… and his promise to make her happy.

"I'm really sorry Ritu, I can't today." He told her, "Maybe we could go another night?"

"Well that's fine," she told him with a disappointed expression, "What's the reason? You're got another date lined up for tonight?" She hoped that she had put exactly the right mixture of disappointment and slight jealousy in her voice that she hoped for.

"No, nothing like that." Abhi told her, hurriedly searching for a reason. "It's just… Raj isn't in the academy right now, and you know I had promised to look after his sister while he was gone. It wouldn't be right of me to abandon my duties."

"Abhimanyu… Cadet Sherry is not a child." Ritu informed him, trying to hide her annoyance as she said the name, "She can certainly cope without you for one night, and I'm sure that she would want you to go and enjoy yourself as well."

"Actually I can't," a voice interrupted and they both looked up to see Sherry, who had apparently overheard their conversation, "You see I have this fear of abandonment… you know, first my mother died, then my father had no time for me… and now my Bhaiyya and Bhabhi have gone off somewhere. I'm afraid if Captain Abhimanyu goes off and leaves me too I might go into a coma out of the shock." She gave her best helpless look to Ritu, as she drummed her fingertips on the tables.

"Oh come on now, Cadet Sherry," Ritu protested, attempting to still be sweet, "Dr. Shalini is still here with you. Will you really refuse to allow me to have company for the movie?"

"I've got a suggestion," Sherry told her in an equally sweet tone, "Why don't you take Dr. Shalini to the movie? That way you'll have company and I won't be at risk of having to deal with my fear of abandonment. I mean, as a psychiatrist, you wouldn't want to endanger my obviously already fragile mental state, would you?"

Ritu opened her mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out, she tried several times before she succeeded, "Fine then," she finally said, "We can postpone our plan until after Captain Rajveer comes back, but then there'll be no excuses for not joining me." She managed to make the last bit sound flirtatious before giving Abhimanyu a small wave and walking off.

Abhi stared at Sherry in something that seems like amazement, "I'm still not sure why it is that you're so against Dr. Mishra." He remarked.

"Because I've seen her type before," Sherry replied, "Usually hanging around my father. Everything she does is calculating, she definitely wants something from you. I don't know what it is… your money, your kingdom… perhaps she's always had a secret dream to be a princess." Sherry suggested, one eyebrow raised.

"I really don't think…" Abhi started to say, "Okay, I admit that it's possible, but how can you be so sure?"

"You don't have to listen to me if you don't want to," Sherry told him seriously, "I have no rights over you. If you really want to go to a movie with her then go ahead."

She sounded perfectly calm but he suspected that this moment could either make or break her trust in him, cement the fragile bond he'd begun to share with her or tear it apart.

"I trust your judgment." He told her, "If you say that I should be careful then I believe you. As for rights… we're friends aren't we? That gives you more than enough rights."

A look crossed her face, as if she had found something that she had lost, and then just as quickly it passed.

"You really are too kind to me." She told him bluntly, then turned around and walked away without another word.

/

On their third day in Shimla, Raj and Naina woke up late, she burrowed her head into his shoulder, pretending that she couldn't see the light where it streamed in through a crack in the curtains.

"Let's not get up just yet," she murmured as he stroked her back, "We can sleep for just a bit longer…"

Raj laughed at this, "And I thought you were worried about what to tell people when they asked what Shimla was like?"

"I'll tell them that the hotel room was very nice and make the rest up," Naina told him, and he could feel her smile against his skin.

It took them another hour to get up and be ready to go out, taking their breakfast in their room leisurely. Today they planned to see some more of the tourist attractions, such as one of the oldest churches in North India and the famous Jakhu Temple.

They took their time to do both, stopping at the church first to offer prayers. Raj couldn't help but watch her as she prayed, offering his own silent prayer that whatever she wished for should be granted and that she might always be happy.

Opening her eyes to find him gazing at her, she shook her head slightly at him. "You didn't ask for anything for yourself?" she questioned him.

"I have everything that I could ever want." He told her, planting a kiss on her forehead, "So I asked for your wishes to be granted instead."

Naina laughed at this, "Then we're not going to end up with anything." She told him.

"Why?" Raj asked her.

"Because I was also asking for your wishes to be granted." She replied, and they laughed together.

"Well aren't we a hopeless pair?" he asked her, "At least one of us should learn to be a bit selfish."

"I'm selfish enough already," Naina replied, "I plan to make you spend the rest of your life with me, think of all the girls disappointed because of that."

Checking to make sure that nobody was watching them, he leaned down to plant a soft kiss on her lips, ensuring that it lasted just long enough to be a promise of what was to come.

"Forget about other girls," he told her, "I could never love anybody as much as I love you. Just promise me that you'll always be with me and I'll be happy."

"I would do anything to make you happy," she promised him, "I'll always be with you."

And she had better be, because there is no way that he could possibly live without her.


	35. Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty Four

On their fourth day in Shimla, Raj woke up to find Naina sitting on the bed looking down at him, softly humming a song as she combed her wet hair. Sitting up, he stretched, yawning, and then grabbed her hand playfully, taking the comb away from her.

"Why are you awake so early?" he asked her, "Usually I'm the first one to wake up."

Naina smiled at this, trying to get her comb back only to have him hide it behind his back. "I'm used to waking up early now from the routine at the academy, it's difficult to break that now."

"But still, I have no idea how I didn't wake up when you got out of the bed." He told her, now twirling the comb around in his hands.

"Well it's possible that you were quite tired," Naina suggested, "After all…" and she started blushing again.

All Raj could do was gaze at her, because she was at her most beautiful when she was blushing, a shy smile on her lips and colour in her cheeks.

Unable to resist, he leaned forward to kiss those lips, gently caressing them with his own, then reached out and pulled her into his arms so that she was now sitting in his lap, her arms around his neck. Leaning forward he nuzzled her neck softly, rubbing his cheek against it, and then sighed a bit dramatically.

"What is it?" Naina asked him, slightly worried.

"I was just thinking that if I had tried romancing you when we first met…. Then we could have had a whole two years of this by now." Raj told her, "What an idiot I was…"

"You weren't an idiot," Naina told him, laughing, "Or else we both were. Even I should've done something, talked to you on the phone sometimes…"

"I was the one who was never brave enough to ask to speak to you." Raj said wistfully, "I should've come to visit, even if it was just once, but I kept convincing myself that maybe you didn't want me to, that you were unhappy with our marriage…"

"That was definitely my fault." Naina told him, "I could've written to you, talked to you, explained how I really felt about it. The whole time the both of us were fearing what the other thought without bothering to find out."

They laughed at this, and Raj gazed at her a little wistfully, as if thinking of the years he could've already had with her if he'd only been braver.

Leaning forward, he kissed her again, capturing her lips until he felt her sigh, then kissing her neck, her shoulder… and trying to push her kurta further down her shoulder in order to access more of her skin.

"You're going to mess up my clothes," she murmured to him, half in a daze already, "And my hair too…"

"Your clothes will only get messed up if you keep them on," he told her seriously, "As for your hair, I'll comb it myself."

And with logic like that, how could Naina refuse?

/

And so quite awhile later, when they were both finally dressed again, he combed out her hair gently, loving the feeling of it between his fingers.

"Your hair is so soft," he told her, before bringing a handful of it up to his face to smell it, "And it smells great too."

Naina laughed at this, "Do you want me to recommend you some shampoo?" she teased him.

"No," Raj told her, "Just let me keep combing your hair and I'll be happy."

It took him a good deal longer to finish than it should, but Naina didn't mind, loving the feeling of his hands combing her hair, gentle and sure. When he was done, she turned around to give him a quick peck on the lips before getting up.

"Shall we go out now?" she asked him, "It's almost lunch time and we haven't even left the room…"

"If you want to go then I think we should go right now," Raj told her, "Because otherwise…"

Blushing, she grabbed his hand and led him towards the door, not allowing him to finish the sentence.

"Tum bhi na…"

"Alright then, let's go and do some more sightseeing." Raj told her, "If we don't get some more photos then everybody really will think we spent our whole honeymoon in the room."

He grabbed the camera and they made their way out, holding hands.

Today they made their way towards Summer Hill, walking the five kilometre distance slowly, sometimes in silence and sometimes chatting. When they arrived the place was so serene that neither felt like talking, instead wanting to simply take in the scenery. They visited the house where Gandhi once stayed before continuing to roam around, occasionally stopping to take photos.

Naina grew embarrassed by Raj insisting on taking as many of her as possible, making him give her the camera instead so that she could take some of him. Afterwards they continued walking slowly to Chadwick Falls, where they sat for awhile to watch the waterfall.

Both of them took their shoes off, enjoying sitting on the ground in the sunlight, just enjoying the peace and quiet. Lying down, Raj placed his head in Naina's lap, and she began to stroke his hair slowly, amazed at how peaceful she could feel simply by sitting in this position with him.

"Do we really have to go back?" Naina asked, "We could just stay here… it's such a beautiful place."

"Unfortunately we do have to go back," Raj told her, taking one of her hands, bringing it to his lips and kissing it, "But I'll do my best to try to take you for holidays more often."

"I would like that," Naina admitted, "And you know I've always liked traveling, I won't mind moving around with you from base to base on your postings."

"Good," Raj replied, "Because otherwise I would probably be court martialled for running away to meet you."

/

At the academy, somebody was not so happy. In fact Yudi had begun worrying that any moment now, Ali might finally lose his patience and punch Huda, something that he had been tempted to do himself on many occasions. Their Jat friend had continued to flirt with Pooja on every occasion possible, and even Pooja was starting to look very sick of it, turning to her friends for help.

"Don't ask me for any," Sherry told her straight out, "This is like a holiday for me. Let me enjoy at least a few days without him targeting me."

"But I'm worried that these constant missed calls of his are going to drive away my true connection." Pooja told Sherry, "What if Ali thinks there's something really going on and…"

"Don't worry Pooja, Ali isn't an idiot." Sherry told her, "He might be a fool sometimes… but he's definitely not an idiot. He can see for himself that you're not encouraging Huda."

"Well then why isn't he doing anything about it?" Pooja asked, obviously frustrated by the situation, "Can't he tell him something, or at least tell me something…" 

"Pooja, I think that the very sad fact, is that if anything is going to be done, you're the one who's going to have to do it." Sherry told her, "Ali is going to be trying to work up the courage to propose to you until he's about fifty years old."

"Well… I suppose that if Ranjha won't come to Heer, Heer can always go to Ranjha." Pooja said thoughtfully, "What difference does it make who the person is that makes the call, as long as we're connected?"

"Exactly," Sherry agreed, "Now go and do it right now before you lose the courage."

"I will!" Pooja declares, "I'll do it right this instant!"

And with a determined look on her face, she marched off to find Ali, almost knocking Yudi over in the process as he came around the corner.

"What's up with Pooja?" Yudi asked Sherry, "Is she running away from Huda again?"

"Nope, she's running towards her Ranjha." Sherry told him, "All the best to Ali, because I don't think there's any way she'll take no for an answer today."

/

Finally tracking Ali down in the library, Pooja made a motion for him to join her outside, which he did, laying his book down quickly and then following her to a more secluded spot.

"What is it, Pooja?" he asked her, worried. "Did you need me for something?"

"Look, Ali, don't pretend." Pooja told him, sounding a bit upset, "All of this time Huda has been flirting with me and you haven't done anything about it. Now tell me right now, do you like me or not?"

Ali looked shocked at her phrasing the question so straight forwardly, and turned red, stuttering slightly as he replied. "Pooja… I mean… I… you… I…"

"Just tell me yes or no, Ali!" Pooja told him in a no nonsense tone, "Because I have been waiting and waiting, and…"

"Yes!" Ali yelled suddenly, "Yes I do!" And then abruptly shut up as if surprised with himself for saying it.

Pooja squealed in delight and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Oh I knew you did!" she told him happily, "You were just having some trouble making the call… I'm so glad that today we've finally made a connection!"

"Then you… you also…?" Ali asked her shyly, unable to say anything else.

"Of course I do!" Pooja told him, "I've deleted the unwanted caller from my phonebook, and now I know who it is that my network should be connected to. Trust me Ali, I honestly like you a lot."

Hearing this, he hugged her briefly in happiness before stopping, blushing and looking around to see if anybody had spotted them.

"Haiiiii, you're so shy, my Ranjha." Pooja commented, a dreamy look on her face, "Now next time that Jat makes any unwanted calls you can tell him that my number has now been removed from the listings."

Ali nodded at this, looking serious, and Pooja moved to take his hand, wanting to walk back that way together to the academy. Seeing his reluctance to display any affection publicly, she sighed and decided that she wouldn't force him to.

After all, she'd already gotten a lot out of him for one day.

/

Abhi was walking down the hallway when he saw Sherry and Pooja laughing about something, exchanging a high five, and he smiled to see them both looking so happy. While Pooja was usually cheerful it was the first time he'd seen Sherry like this, and her smile lit up her whole face, making her look like a different girl altogether.

As he approached, they both stopped laughing, although Sherry continued to look amused, Pooja now looking a little embarrassed.

"It's good to see you both looking so happy," he told them cheerfully, "I hope I'll always be able to see you this way."

"Yes Sir… I mean… now you will… I mean…" and blushing, Pooja ran away.

"What happened to her?" Abhi asked, now thoroughly confused.

"Well common sense finally happened to her and Ali, and they are now very happily although very shyly a couple." Sherry informed him, still smiling. Because really, she was happy for them both. They were perfect for each other, anybody would be able to see it, and at least somebody in this world should get some happiness.

Abhi smiled at that, "Well it's about time," he told her, "I've been watching those two for ages and they make a good pair. It's funny the way things work out," he continued, "If somebody didn't know the two of them they wouldn't believe that they could fall in love. But it works out like that often, look at Raj and Naina's case…"

Sherry nodded, still smiling and then suddenly her expression became serious. "I've been meaning to ask you something…" she began, "You can answer it however you like, but if you're honest, then I would appreciate it."

"Ask me," Abhi told her, "You know you can ask me anything."

"Then tell me, if you had been in Bhaiyya's place, if you had been the one to visit Naina's family and been asked to marry her, what would you have done?"

Sherry watched him, an air of expectation around her. Somehow Abhi felt that the answer to this question was important, that it might mean a lot to her, but he had no idea why.

"I've never even thought about it before… never considered it." He admitted honestly, "And to be truthful, I'm glad that it wasn't me, not only because Raj and Naina are perfect for each other, but also because I don't know if I could've done what he did."

Sherry nodded at this, almost as if she had expected it, but her expression changed ever so slightly, a strange look coming into her eyes.

"Raj made the decision on the spur of the moment…" Abhi told her, "And perhaps it was easier because he wasn't answerable to anyone. I would've helped Naina's family in whatever way I could've supported them, but to marry her… I would've had to think of the effect on my family, on Balmar…"

"Because of who Naina was…" Sherry remarked quietly, "Because she…"

"Yes," Abhi admitted, almost ashamed to say it. "What Raj did took a lot of courage… and I'm not sure whether I would've had the guts to do the same thing or not."

As Sherry looked at him, he saw her face fall for a moment, a look in her eyes that he'd seen before, when she'd been particularly upset about something. Then she covered it up quickly, and a wry smile appeared on her face, almost as if she was laughing at herself.

"I've disappointed you, haven't I?" Abhi asked her quietly, "I wish that the answer was something different, but I wanted to be honest."

"No, you haven't disappointed me." Sherry answered, the same sad smile still on her face, "I'm glad that you were honest, it was the answer that I needed to hear."

She looked at him for a moment as he stood there staring at her, confused by the rapid change in her behaviour, and then with a slight shake of her head she left him standing in the corridor.

He knew that he had failed her in some way, but he had no idea how.

And somehow he thought that it wouldn't be so easy to fix this, especially when he had no idea what it was that was broken.


	36. Chapter 35

Chapter Thirty Five

As Naina repacked their bags on the afternoon of the last day she sighed a little wistfully, looking out their window at the wonderful view. Having been banned from helping with the packing, Raj lay on his back on the bed with his arms bent to cushion his head, watching her with a smile on his face.

"You never know, maybe my next posting will be in Shimla." He told her, trying to cheer her up.

Naina smiled, imagining it. "I haven't even thought about where your next posting might be yet." She replied, "I've gotten so used to KMA and everyone there…"

"I know, I would miss them as well if we left. Not just Abhi, Sherry and Shalini, but all of the cadets. It's difficult to leave friends behind every time you get a new posting, and I know it will be hard on you too."

"As long as I have you with me I'll be fine," Naina told him, knowing that it sounded soppy but unable to find any other way to phrase her feelings.

"Come here," he told her, patting the bed beside him, and she gave him a look.

"We're going to be late to check out." Naina reminded him seriously.

"Just come here," Raj told her, smiling gently and so she did so, sitting on the bed beside him. Taking her hand, he tugged her down so that she was lying beside him, her head resting on his shoulder, one hand on his chest, just above his heart. He settled his arm around her waist and they lay like that for a minute before he kissed her forehead and loosened his grasp.

"Okay, you can finish packing now." He said with a grin, and she shook her head at his playfulness, pushing him slightly as she moved to resume packing.

"You really are adorable, you know." She said with a grin and he gave her one in return.

As she stole quick glances at him, seeing that he was doing the same, she couldn't help but smile. So much had changed between them in these five days, there was now nothing standing between them, no distances and no awkwardness. Naina was incredibly glad that they had decided to wait until the right time, until they truly knew each other, loved each other. There was something special about what they shared, a bond deepened by understanding and the sorrow they had gone through.

They would be returning to KMA today, but one thing she was certain of was that they were not the same people they were when they left.

/

They arrived back at the academy half an hour before lights out. Naina had college again the next day while Raj would need to report to duty so they had ensured they would make good time. They'd just changed their clothes when they heard a soft knock at the front door and Raj opened it to see Sherry standing there.

"You really have learnt to knock," he told her, amusement clear on his face.

She shrugged, "Considering you've just come back from your honeymoon I was afraid what I might find if I just walked in." she replied, causing him to turn scarlet red.

Naina tried not to laugh at this, but at the same time she realised that the sentence seemed to lack Sherry's usual spark. Her sister-in-law seemed dull, a bit distracted and slightly lost. Coming inside the room she impulsively hugged her brother before crossing over to Naina and hugging her as well.

"I hope you two had a good time." She told them, "We didn't miss you at all."

From the tone of her voice, Naina knew that she was only saying that so that they wouldn't worry. There was something wrong, she knew there was. When they had left, it had seemed as if Sherry was recovering some of her spark, as if she was finally becoming happy. Now it seemed as if she had returned to the way she used to be, only that this time she was less angry and more… defeated.

"Well we missed you." Naina told her, "In fact we brought you a gift back, I hope you like it."

Searching through the suitcase she found the package and handed it over. Sherry opened it carefully, smiling when she saw the brightly woven hair band and the silver earrings that they'd bought her.

"You really didn't have to," she told them, "But they are beautiful…" and she held them in her hands as if they were the most precious gifts she'd ever received.

Naina hugged her again, unable to stop worrying about what might be wrong. She had honestly hoped that things were improving, and now she worried that her and Raj going away for five days might have had a negative effect that…

There was another knock at the door, and as Raj opened it again, Naina watched the look on Sherry's face as she saw the new visitor. It was a look of such incredible sadness that Naina was genuinely shocked… turning to stare at Abhimanyu as he greeted Raj, hugging him. She watched as his gaze drifted to Sherry while he then greeted Naina, a genuinely worried look in his eyes.

"Okay Bhaiyya, Bhabhi, Abhimanyu Sir, I should get to bed now." Sherry told them all. "There's only a few minutes left until lights out and if I don't get there beforehand I'll be due for a detention with Lolitaji."

Still holding her presents carefully she left the room, shutting the door behind her, and Naina watched as Abhimanyu's eyes trailed after her, the same worried look on his face.

"So how was Shimla?" he asked them, a bright smile plastered on his face that didn't quite meet his eyes. "Is it as beautiful as I remember it to be?"

"Even more beautiful if you're on your honeymoon." Raj told him cheerfully, "It has a special type of magic."

"Well I'm glad that you two enjoyed yourselves then," Abhi replied, "You both deserved a good break after everything that happened. While you were gone I kept thinking about that time you, Navin and I went camping, Raj. Do you remember we had planned so many things to do together, trips to take together…" he became nostalgic, lost in the moment, a far away look in his eyes.

Raj sighed sadly, "We had so many plans… how were we to know that none of them would ever work out?"

They all stood in silence for awhile before Abhimanyu grimaced, "And I see that I've made the mood completely depressing with my arrival, so I think it's time that I leave." He told them, "Raj, we'll have a meeting tomorrow morning before classes start if you come to my room…"

"Sure, I'll meet you there first thing." Raj agreed, and bidding them goodnight, Abhimanyu left.

Raj looks at the closed door for a moment after he had locked it behind Abhi.

"You know sometimes I wonder… should I tell him the truth?" he asked Naina, "Would he ever forgive me?"

"I forgave you," Naina replied quietly, "My parents forgave you. I know that Abhimanyu would forgive you too if he knew what the circumstances were… you didn't have any choice."

"But in the end… I was the one who pulled the trigger." Raj told her seriously, "I was the one who made the ultimate decision to kill Navin… I could've refused him… reasoned with him."

"You were the one because you were the one that he chose." Naina replied, reaching out to take Raj's hand in hers. "He chose you because he trusted you to set him free, to end his suffering. I know Abhimanyu will understand that too."

"I miss him so much…" Raj admitted, "You know I always think what it would be like, if you and I were married and he was still alive… we would've been brothers-in-law, celebrated holidays together…"

"But would we have gotten married if Navin hadn't died?" Naina asked him thoughtfully, "We might never have even met each other."

"It's possible we wouldn't have…" Raj replied equally as thoughtfully, "But I would like to think that we would've. Navin once joked with me that he would get me married to his sister so that we could be related. I didn't take him seriously… told him to show me a picture of you first but he never did."

Naina pondered the possibilities at that moment… what all of their lives could've been like if her brother hadn't been trapped, accused, if he hadn't died.

But no matter what the possibilities were, they were stuck with the present that existed, and the only thing she could try to do is to make that present as happy as possible.

/

The next morning while Raj was showering, Naina called her mother, wanting her to know that they had arrived back from their holiday safely.

"And you had a nice time, didn't you?" her mother asked her, "I'm so glad that you two were finally able to go for a holiday by yourselves… it was about time."

"Yes Ma, we had a nice time." Naina told her, trying not to blush and glad that her mother couldn't see her. "Shimla was beautiful and we did so much sightseeing, it was very relaxing too."

"Just as long as you're happy," Mrs Ahluwalia replied, "Just stay this way forever."

"I hope I'll be able to Ma… you know last night we were talking about Navin and," Naina suddenly remembered something she had been meaning to ask her mother for a long time now. "Ma, this might seem like a strange question, but did Navin ever talk to you about having a girlfriend? Just before everything happened I mean."

Her mother laughed at this, a little sadly. "Navin never told me about his girlfriends… but now that you mention it… I do remember… shortly before he was arrested he had been hinting to me that there was someone he would like us to meet. He never told us her name, but he said that he had met her in Ambala."

"Did he say anything else at all?" Naina asked her desperately, "Anything that might help us work out who the girl was?"

"Just let me try to remember…" Naina's mother told her, "You know when I asked where he met her, he told me that it was at a hospital…"

"Hopefully that will be useful, Ma." Naina replied, "Anything else?"

"I think that maybe he brought her to his alumni night…" Naina's mother said as if suddenly remembering, "He had been talking about it, and when I asked if he had a date, he told me of course he did."

That was the best news that Naina had received in a long time, because if the girl had come to the alumni night then it was possible that somebody at KMA would've seen her, would recognise her.

"Thank you very much, Ma. I'll call you again soon." Naina promised her.

For the first time in a long time they had a new lead… now all they had to do was to find somebody who would've seen the girl and would be willing to tell them about her.

/

Anybody could've guessed that something had happened. Pooja hadn't stopped grinning since the day before, and even Ali seemed shyly happy, although he was always less demonstrative about his feelings.

And so it was bound to be trouble when while both Huda and Ali were heading back to the table with their lunches, Huda took the seat next to Pooja. Pooja just stared at him, while Ali stood there, lunch plate in his hands.

"Hudabhai, enough is enough." Ali finally told him, "Please leave Pooja alone now."

"And who's going to make me?" Huda asked him, drawling lazily. "Do you have some claim on her that I don't?"

"No… I…" Ali stuttered, making Pooja sigh in disappointment, guessing that he was never going to say anything. "Yes… I do…." He abruptly said, changing his mind. "So get up from the seat."

Huda just stared at him in disbelief, "I don't think I've gotten it yet, Osool." He told him mischievously, "You'll have to be a bit more clear."

"Oy, haven't you understood yet, you unwanted caller?" Pooja asked him, "Ali and I have a special connection, now get out of my network so that I can accept his incoming."

The entire table stared at them both before breaking out into applause, even Sherry brightened up, smiling genuinely for the first time in two days. Huda whistled at them, gladly getting up from his seat and shifting to the one next to Sherry which she sighed at slightly in a half fed up way.

"See, I knew you could do it, Osool." Huda told him in a very proud tone, "Some of my personality had to rub off on you eventually."

"Hudabhai… all of this?" Ali asked him, staring back at all of their grins.

"Well… Huda's personality is such that he likes to do favours for his friends." Huda said, obviously expecting them to thank him for his generosity.

Ali just shook his head in disbelief and took his seat next to Pooja, beginning to eat his meal.

It was later on, when they'd almost finished eating and were chatting about the next class, that Sherry spotted Abhimanyu enter the canteen, looking around as if searching for somebody. Hurriedly she excused herself, heading out through the nearest door. It was this movement that caught Abhi's eye and he followed her quickly, catching up to her in the mostly deserted hallway.

"Sherry, wait!" he called out to her, and she stopped reluctantly, turning to face him.

"I have to get some books from my room before class," she told him, "You know how Lolitaji is… if we don't know the exact date that some award or other was started it's a national tragedy."

"I know you're giving me excuses," he replied, his eyes searching her face, "You're avoiding me again and I don't know why, I have no idea what I've done. Just tell me what it is so that I can fix it."

"You haven't done anything," Sherry told him tiredly, "Trust me… whatever problems there are… they're only mine. It's not you and it's never been you, it's always been me."

Her reply just confused him even more, and when she turned to go he reached out to stop her, grasping her shoulders in his hands, his eyes fixed on her face.

"I know it's got something to do with me," he told her, "And even if it is more about you… you're still avoiding me. I need to know what's wrong, I need to know what it is so that I can try to make it better."

"You can't make it better." Sherry replied, "Nobody can… just… just give up." Her words come out harsher than she intended and he thought he might see tears shining in her eyes. "It was my fault, all of it, you never… it was all me."

"But what is it that's your fault, Sherry?" Abhi asked her desperately, "What is it that keeps making you run away, not only from me but from everyone? Why won't you trust me?"

"Because for that I would have to trust myself." She told him, "And that's not possible anymore. Just please… give up on trying to save me. I know you've begun to feel responsible… and that's the last thing that I want to happen. I don't need anybody else to get caught up in this mess, especially not you."

For a second she looked at him as if she was struggling with something, and then suddenly she reached up, and taking his hands gently, removed them from her shoulders. She held them for a moment, looking down at them, and then let go, slipping out of his grasp.

And then she walked away.

He wanted to call out to her, stop her, make her turn around. Take her by her shoulders again and force her to stand there until she told him what it was that he'd done wrong and how he could make it better.

Most of all, he realised that he wished he could hug her, hold her until whatever it was that was causing her so much pain went away.

But he couldn't do this, couldn't do any of it, because that would mean creating a scene in the middle of the academy which was the last thing that Sherry needed right now.

But rapidly, he was beginning to lose the patience that he needed to figure these things out. It pained him to see her like this and he had no idea how much longer he would be able to endure it for.

Cursing under his breath, he turned and walked away in the direction of his own classroom, knowing that for the moment he couldn't do anything at all.

All the while unaware that another pair of eyes was watching him, filled with anger.

And as Huda watched Abhimanyu walk away, he thought he finally knew why it was that Sherry was refusing to respond to him.

Now all he had to do was figure out what to do about it.


	37. Chapter 36

Chapter Thirty Six

Christmas had passed with only a small celebration, and now preparations for New Year's in the academy were in full swing for the party that was to be held that evening. Yudi had arranged to hire a magician to entertain them, and there was going to be some music provided as well, courtesy of Abhimanyu's music class.

As the cadets put up decorations, it was easy to see the varying moods among them. Ali helped Pooja as she strung up streamers, holding the ladder steady for her and occasionally passing her things, as she chatted merrily away to him. A quiet, happy smile could be seen on his face as he listened to her, an expression that he wore more and more often these days whenever Pooja was around. She was more demonstrative about her happiness, constantly smiling and telling anybody who asked exactly the reason why she was so happy.

Yudi was currently enthusiastically explaining to Dr. Shalini about the magic show that was going to take place that evening, and listening excitedly when she told him that she was an amateur magician herself, having entertained friends with her skills in college days. Shalini seemed to be genuinely happy as she explained about the skills she knew, promising to teach him.

The last pair that could be found helping with the preparations were Sherry and Aalekh, who were in charge of the food and refreshments. Of all of the cadets there, they were the only ones that seemed quieter, subdued. Sherry barely spoke, arranging things quietly, her face downcast while Aalekh watched her worriedly. Naina had told him she was concerned about Sherry, but she hadn't needed to, Aalekh would have realised something was wrong by himself. So he had taken it upon himself to watch over her, intending to keep Huda at a distance before he could do anything to make it worse.

Aalekh had never worked out what it was that troubled Sherry so much, only that it was something to do with her father. Now he saw a second type of worry in her eyes, a deeper sadness than he had seen before. And the reason… he thought he knew the cause of it this time, which was an even better reason to keep Huda away from her. Huda was currently with a group of girl cadets, offering his help to them and flirting, but Aalekh was sure that it was only his stony glare that had kept Huda from bothering Sherry thus far.

Aalekh's suspicions were confirmed when he saw Abhimanyu walk into the room, as if intending to check on the preparations. However it was easy for Aalekh to see where his teacher's gaze immediately went, who it was that he watched. Even as Abhi wandered around the room, checking on individual cadets and their preparations, he constantly glanced over at Sherry. For her part, she stubbornly refused to look up towards him, and yet it was obvious by her posture that she knew he was there, knew exactly where it was that he was standing in the room.

They were the last group that Abhimanyu approached, and even then Sherry only glanced up briefly, nodding at him before going back to her preparations. Aalekh didn't think he had ever seen his teacher look as hurt before as he did at that moment, even as he tried to hide it by smiling at both of them.

"So how are the preparations going, Sherry and Aalekh?" he asked them, "What do we have prepared for us tonight?"

Sherry remained silent, and Aalekh realised that it was going to be up to him to answer. "Sherry and I aren't such bad cooks, Sir." Aalekh told him, "But it'll be a surprise. Actually this time, Sherry took most of the responsibility."

She glanced up briefly at this, and then looked away again, quietly excusing herself by saying she has to check on something in the kitchen.

Abhimanyu glanced at her retreating form in frustration before turning to Aalekh. "Aalekh… do you know what's wrong?" Abhi asked him, "I've been trying… but she's stopped talking to me. I don't know what has happened, what it is that I've done, and I don't know how to fix it."

Aalekh was a bit surprised at Abhimanyu discussing this type of thing with him, but guessed that it must be a sign of how desperate he really was to make things better.

"Sir… I think that Sherry needs a bit of time." Aalekh told him, "She's not angry with you, she's just…"

He couldn't finish the sentence because at that moment an orderly came to call Abhimanyu to the phone, something that seemed to frustrate him even more.

"I'll be right back," he told Aalekh, obviously not wanting to leave until he'd gotten his answer.

The moment that he was gone, Huda left the group of girls and approached, an angry look on his face. "What did that Jhabreela want?" he asked harshly, "Why doesn't he just leave Sherry alone, can't he see that she doesn't want to talk to him?"

"Dekh Huda, I'm warning you, just stay out of this." Aalekh told him in a very dangerous tone. "Sherry can decide for herself who it is that she does and doesn't want to talk to."

"Oh, so you've decided to be her guardian again, have you?" Huda asked him, becoming even angrier, "You can't keep me away from her."

"Let's see…" Aalekh replied, "I can try my best."

They stared at each other for a moment, before Suriji's arrival to check on their preparations distracted them, and deciding to leave it be for the moment, Huda went back to the group of girls he had been with.

/

Abhimanyu approached the phone, unsure of who had called him since they had refused to give a name.

"Hello?"

"Captain Abhimanyu Rai Chauhan?"

"Yes, and who is this?"

"You don't need to know that," the voice told him, "All you need to know is that I'm your well wisher."

"And what is it that my well wisher wants?" Abhi asked him, doubting the person's intentions and yet at the same time, knowing that this could be important in relation to the case of the spy.

"I believe that you're trying to find out more about your friend Navin Singh Ahluwalia's case…" The person continued, causing Abhi's breath to catch, there was a long pause and then, "How would you like to know who the person who killed him was?"

"Tell me." Abhi commanded the unknown caller, "Tell me who it was."

"You might not believe me." The person continued, almost teasingly, "Are you sure that you want to know?"

"Just tell me, damn it." Abhi said heatedly, losing his patience.

"What if I was to tell you, that the person who killed Navin Singh Ahluwalia was nobody else than your best friend… Rajveer Singh Shekawat?"

For a moment Abhi couldn't breathe, this couldn't be true, it couldn't….

"I don't believe you." He said, "Raj would never…"

"If you don't believe me, then go and ask him yourself, see whether he denies it." The person replied, and then the call was cut, as Abhi stared at the phone.

It couldn't be true, it couldn't. He wouldn't even ask… but if it was….

/

Naina and Raj were both preparing for the evening ahead when there was knock at the door. Raj opened it to see a very agitated Abhi standing there.

"Come in Chauhan," Raj told him smilingly, "Is something wrong?"

Abhi walked in and Raj closing the door behind him. Naina looked at him, concerned, wondering what it was that he was so upset about.

"I just got a call…" Abhi told them, "From somebody who said they had information about Navin's case… and there's something that I need to ask you, Raj."

"Ask me, Chauhan, whatever it is, ask me." Raj told him, beginning to get tense.

"I didn't believe them… but I have to ask anyway… did you… Navin…. Did you kill Navin, Raj?"

Abhi waited, and as the silence stretched on, he realised with shock that he'd gotten his answer.

"Yes," Raj finally replied solemnly, "I was the one that killed Navin."

The situation was so tense that Naina was worried about what would happen next, because by the way that Abhi was staring at Raj it seemed almost as if he might be about to punch her husband or attack him. She stepped forward, almost in front of Raj, hoping that at least her presence might stop any violence from breaking out.

"All of these years…" Abhi said after a deep breath, "All of these years while I searched for the killer, it was you all along."

Raj remained silent, there was nothing he could say to the accusation.

"All of these years, and you never told me, never admitted the truth. Why would you after all?" Abhimanyu asked, "How could you admit to such a thing?"

"Abhi… they told you that I was the one that killed him, but they didn't tell you how it happened." Raj began, almost pleadingly, after everything he didn't want to lose his only remaining friend… not now.

"How it happened? It's enough that it happened!" Abhi exclaimed, "I let Navin go, hoping that he might be able to live free…escape, and you…" He suddenly looked at Naina, and then back at Raj. "And then after killing him, you went to his house and got married to his sister? You never…"

He shook his head in disbelief and headed for the door.

"Abhi, wait!" Raj called out, "At least listen to…"

"I don't want to listen to anything right now," Abhi told him, "And if it wasn't for Naina being here…" He left, banging the door behind him as Raj stared at Naina helplessly.

"He won't even listen… how can I explain… how can I tell him…" Raj was dangerously close to breaking down, and Naina stepped forward quickly, hugging him to her.

"I should've told him… and now he's found out from someone else. How will I ever convince him, Naina?" he asked her, and sighing, Naina stepped back from Raj.

"Leave that to me." She told him, "Right now Abhimanyu is angry, he doesn't want to listen to anyone. It's been a big shock after all. But if I go… if I go then I think he'll listen to me."

She touched Raj's face, trying to reassure him that it would be fine, that she was going to be able to fix it. He nodded, trusting her to do so, and she left the room, quickly heading to Abhimanyu's quarters and knocking on the door. It took him awhile to open it, but when he did and saw her there, he just stared.

"Please, Naina, I'm not in the mood to listen to anything right now…" he told her, "And you especially…"

"I especially, am the one that needs to talk to you about this." Naina replied, and without waiting for an answer pushed her way inside, "And you will listen to what I have to say."

She sat down on one of his chairs, and realising that she wasn't going to leave until he heard her out, he sat down opposite her.

"Yes… Raj didn't tell you the truth." Naina started, "But can you blame him? He was scared… scared that you would react in exactly the way you did just now."

"I can't believe that you're excusing him," Abhimanyu said in disbelief, "You in particular… did you know about this when you married him, or did you find out later? How could you forgive him for killing your brother?"

"I forgave him… because my parents forgave him… and because I understood why he had to do what he did." Naina told Abhimanyu, looking him directly in the eye, "And I found out the very first day that I met him. That was the reason that he came to our house, to confess to us, to ask for our forgiveness, for how he might atone… and my parents… they weren't angry even for a moment, because they remembered…"

Naina broke off suddenly, becoming emotional at the memory. "You must know how much my brother was tortured in jail." She told Abhi, "And then what was his life going to be like? Forever on the run? Forever scared, hiding? Should Navin have had that type of life? Instead, when he met Raj, Navin begged him to kill him, begged him to set him free, and Raj… seeing his suffering, could not refuse."

Naina broke down then, crying as she thought about it, about both of their helplessness, the way they both must have felt at that moment. Abhi watched her, his expression now changed, as realisation dawned. "Had there been any other option… I know that Raj would never have done it. But Navin… Navin left him no choice, and when my parents, when I, have understood and forgiven him… then please, don't misunderstand what Raj did. He only has one best friend left, and he needs your support. Don't leave him to suffer through this alone."

Having said this, she stood up, wiping her tears, and headed towards the door. "Please Abhimanyu, think about what I've said… think about what you would've done if you were the one that Navin asked."

And with those words she left.

/

It was an hour later, when the party was about to begin, that there was a knock on the door of Raj and Naina's quarters, and he looked up hopefully, calling out to the person to come in. However when it was Sherry that entered, he once again becomes serious, still holding Naina's hand where they sat together on the couch.

"Well I can see neither of you are in a party mood." Sherry commented with a frown, "Are you that upset about saying goodbye to the previous year?"

There was no response, and she realised that something was genuinely and seriously wrong. Sighing, she sat down on the chair nearby to them. "What is it?" she asked, "And don't think that I'm going to go away until you tell me, so you might as well start with the truth."

And realising that it might be best if Sherry found out the truth before it was revealed to her by someone else, Naina explained everything to her sister-in-law as Raj remained silent. Sherry's eyes widened as she listened but she didn't say anything, remaining silent for a moment before nodding. She didn't feel she needed to say anything, but today… she truly understood why the bond between her brother and Naina was so strong.

"Alright," she told them, "You two get ready for the party now."

"Sherry…. I really don't think that either of us feels like attending a party anymore." Raj replied, "We'll stay here instead."

"I don't want to hear any excuses." Sherry said sternly, "Get ready, and be at the party within ten minutes, everything will be fine."

She walked to the door, pausing to look back at them, "And don't even think of disobeying me." She continued in a strict tone, bringing a smile to Raj's face at least for a moment.

When she walked out, they looked at each other, and Naina squeezed Raj's hand. "It'll be fine," she told him, "We're together in this… and I know, everything will work out."

He took her hand and raised it to his lips, ready to hope for the first time that night.

"We'd better get ready then," he tells her resignedly, "Neither of us wants to find out what happens if we disobey Sherry."

/

When Abhi heard a knock on his door again he opened it hesitantly, not knowing who to expect and genuinely surprised when he saw Sherry there.

She walked into the room without an invitation, and he only half closed the door, knowing that he probably shouldn't be alone in his room with any female cadet… and especially not this one.

She looked around almost casually, taking in her surroundings, having never actually been in his room before, and then she turned back to him, looking him up and down, and seeing his disheveled state.

"So I heard that you've acted like a bit of an idiot." She told him, one eyebrow raised.

Abhi opened his mouth to argue with her, and then realised that that was exactly what he had acted like. Without bothering to listen to reason, he had decided that his only remaining best friend was at fault. He hadn't bothered to consider what Raj must have gone through, how he must have felt… and now ever since Naina had left he'd tried to work out what he would've done if in the same position, and had realised that yes… he would've done exactly the same thing.

"Yes," he admitted, "I have."

"Well that's alright," Sherry told him with a shrug, "Everybody is allowed to act like an idiot occasionally, as long as they realise they have afterwards and make up for it. Now it's the last day of the year today, are you going to let this idiocy carry over into the New Year as well?"

"No…" he told her, and then his expression changed, "But how can I go to Raj now, after how I behaved, after what I said… how can I face him?"

"Very easily." Sherry replied, "Now go into your bedroom and get changed, I expect you to take less than five minutes, then we're going to solve this once and for all."

Abhi stared at her, unable to believe that despite being one of his cadets she was ordering him around. Sherry had always been different… how different, he was only just beginning to realise. He went to his bedroom and quickly changed into the outfit he had picked out earlier, washing his face before he came out to join Sherry again, looking at her properly for the first time since she had come in. Even she was dressed for the evening, in a pair of jeans and a top that looked new. He noticed that she was wearing the hairband and the earrings that Raj and Naina had brought her back from Shimla. As usual she hadn't put on any make up, but with her hair tied back neatly, and the casual outfit, she looked…

He'd never really thought before about how pretty she really was, when she went to so much trouble to hide it behind shaggy hair and an attitude. But tonight… it looked almost as if she might have tried to make an effort for once.

"Shall we go?" Sherry asked him, and when he didn't respond, she grabbed his wrist, leading him out the door and then stopping to allow him to lock it. Once that was done, she once again set off, sighing when he didn't follow her immediately and reaching out to take his wrist, tugged him forward until they'd reached the area of the party. Letting go of him, she pointed out where Raj and Naina were standing, and then turned to him expectantly.

"Okay, go ahead." Sherry told him, "We should finish this right now."

"But what am I supposed to do?" Abhi asked her, "How can I…"

"Go over to them, give Bhaiyya a big hug, and tell him you're sorry." Sherry said in her typical no nonsense way. "Trust me, all the problems will automatically be solved by themselves. Now go ahead and do it before I have to take you over there myself."

She gave him a very strict look, and he momentarily grinned. "You're very bossy, aren't you?" he asked, quite amused.

"You were the one who told me I had the right to be." She reminded him, "Now go ahead."

/

Ritu had heard the earlier conversation in Raj and Naina's room in delight, believing that she had finally accomplished her task. With Raj and Abhi at odds, her mission would be much easier, but now as she watched him talking with Sherry and then making his way across to Raj and Naina, she had a doubt.

Had somebody managed to ruin her plans yet again?

/

Raj waited somewhat nervously as Abhi approached him, and there was a moment when his friend stood silently in front of him that he thought….

Then Abhi opened his arms and enfolded Raj in an embrace, hugging him tightly, and Raj hugged him back just as hard.

"I'm so sorry my friend," Abhi told him, "I should've listened…. Should've tried to understand… if it wasn't for Naina coming and talking sense into me, and then Sherry… then whoever told this to me would've succeeded in setting us apart."

"Your reaction was perfectly understandable." Raj replied, "And I should've told you a long time ago… I should've had the courage."

"Leave it for now." Abhi said emotionally, "Don't make me more embarrassed. Let's forget about it with the old year, and move on with the new one."

They hugged each other again, and Naina smiled, looking over to nod at Sherry in thanks, who nodded in return and then turned away, leaving to find her friends. She joined them, standing close by to Aalekh, and ignoring the admiring looks that Huda was giving her. The evening passed well, Shalini joining Raj, Naina and Abhi to chat happily about everything that had happened in the last year, and what they expected for the next one. The only person who was unhappy was Ritu, who did her best to smile when she would rather be snarling, directing some venomous glances when she could towards both Naina and Sherry, knowing that they were responsible for the friends making up.

The cadets' band performed quite well as Abhi watched them proudly, and for the first time in quite awhile, Sherry seemed happy to catch his eye, having forgotten that she was trying to avoid him in the effort of trying to reunite him with Raj. He was glad, because he had been finding it extremely difficult while she avoided him. Even if the problem hadn't been solved between them, at least she was finally talking to him again.

Once the performance was over and the magician had come on, Sherry wandered away, and wanting the chance to set things right once and for all, Abhi followed her, walking out into the corridor behind her.

"Sherry!" he called out, and she turned around, looking at him almost a little self consciously before glancing down at her feet. "Why are you leaving already? It's not even midnight."

She shrugged, still not looking at him properly, "I'm a bit tired." She told him, "I thought I'd go to bed now… get some sleep early."

"You can't even wait until the end of the party? After you put so much effort in?"

Sherry shrugged yet again, finally raising her eyes to look him in the face, "I'm not really in a partying mood," she replied, "It might be a new year… but things will continue as they always have."

"You don't know that," Abhi told her, taking another step towards her, "This year could have many things in store for you, new happiness… new experiences… don't give up hope before it's even begun."

Sherry smiled finally, shaking her head slightly. "You have so many hopes for me, don't you?" she asked, "Won't you ever give up?"

"No, never." Abhi replied earnestly, "Not until I see you smiling like this every day. I'll keep on trying."

Her smile faltered for a moment before she regained it. "I'm just happy that everything is sorted out between you and Bhaiyya." She told him, "Try not to fight with him again… he really does need you."

"I want to thank you, Sherry. For making me stop being such a coward and go and sort things out with him. If it wasn't for you and Naina..."

He took another step closer, and impulsively hugged her. It wasn't a long hug, or a particularly tight one, but there was one moment when Sherry briefly allowed herself to hug him back before she stepped away out of his embrace.

"I did what was best," she told him, seemingly a little embarrassed and not looking at him anymore. "I'll always try to do what's best."

She gave him a look that was almost searching, and then turned around, once more headed towards her room. He stared after her, not quite sure what it was that he was feeling, except for a profound relief that it seemed as if she was no longer avoiding him.

Deciding that he couldn't do anything else for the night, he headed back to the party, intending to spend some more time with Raj and Naina.

Inside the party, as the clock struck midnight, Raj turned and kissed Naina on the cheek, before hugging her to him.

"From now on it's a new year," he told her, "Whatever this year has in store for us, at least we know we'll be together for all of it."

Naina leaned her head against his chest, happy to be securely in his embrace.

It would be their first full year together. She knew that there would be challenges, but they would be able to face them together.

And really, they'd started it on a very good note.


	38. Chapter 37

Chapter Thirty Seven

Since it was a Sunday morning, Naina had planned to sleep in, but her plans were interrupted as she felt a kiss being planted on her cheek. Not quite ready to wake up, she sighed happily, turning towards the source of the kiss, holding her arms out to indicate to him to hug her, still with her eyes closed. She smiled, feeling him move closer and then suddenly shrieked, her eyes opening quickly when she realised he was damp, having just come from the shower and not having dried himself properly yet.

Raj grinned at her, his wet hair hanging loosely, droplets of it falling on her skin.

"Raj, you're wetting me!" Naina protested, struggling to move away from him now, but not allowing her to, he just pulled her closer playfully, shaking his head slightly so that more droplets fell on her skin. Naina shrieked again, but this time she couldn't help giggling as well, raising her hands to ruffle his wet hair, running her fingers through it. "Do you know how cute you look like this?" she asked him, and he leaned down to kiss her, his wet hair brushing against her cheeks.

"I was hoping that would be your reaction." Raj told her, grinning once again as he nuzzled her cheek gently. Lowering his head he began to kiss the water droplets off her skin as Naina shivered slightly. His kisses became more heated as he continued, and as she pressed him closer, she forgot all about the dampness of his skin, or the fact that her clothes were also becoming damper by the minute.

"If only you would wake me up like this every morning," she murmured against his shoulder as he continued to kiss her neck.

"If you didn't have college and I didn't have drills every morning then I definitely would." Raj joked, and she hit his shoulder playfully, giggling along with him. "Well my lovely wife, for now we're just going to have to make do with Sundays if that's alright for you."

Naina sighed and hugged him closer, it wasn't ideal, but for now she would make do with Sundays.

/

Sherry's Sunday was not turning out as nicely as Raj and Naina's. She had woken up early unable to sleep, while Pooja was dreaming happily, murmuring Ali's name. Sherry sighed slightly, sitting up in bed, and then smiled at her new friend's happiness. Finally it felt right to say that… friend. She hadn't had anybody that she was willing to call friend for such a long time that it felt almost strange to say it.

She hoped that Pooja and Ali would always be this happy, and at the same time this happiness… sobering, she got up and began preparing for the day, because Pooja's happiness reminded her of how desperately she wished that she could feel the same way. But Sherry had realised a long time ago that it was best if that dream didn't come true.

Putting on a tracksuit, she headed for the field and began to do laps, hoping that it would clear her head. Lately she had been so torn between what it was that she should be thinking and feeling, constantly pulled from one direction to the next. She knew what it was that she should not be feeling and yet…

She hoped that jogging might help to clear her head, that the simple exercise might give her some well needed peace of mind. It was a new year but nothing had changed for her, she was still struggling between what she wanted to be and to have in life and what she knew she was destined for, and it was difficult to keep denying her feelings.

"Hey Sherry!" A familiar voice called out and Sherry realized that peace was the last thing she was going to get this morning. She sped up, hoping to outrun him, but his legs were longer than hers and he caught up easily.

"Didn't you hear me calling out?" Huda asked her, now jogging alongside her.

"So sorry about that, I've actually meant to go to the doctor about my selective deafness." Sherry told him, rolling her eyes, "You see there are moments when I just can't seem to hear certain people, whereas I can hear others perfectly well. It's the strangest thing." She sped up again, hoping that he'd take a hint and go away.

"Oy Sherry, can't you stop for a minute?" Huda asked her, completely ignoring her previous comment. She wondered whether he had caught her selective deafness too, because he never seemed to hear when she told him she wasn't interested. "I hardly ever get the chance to talk to you with either Qaidi or that Jhabreela always around." He continued.

Sherry had to stop herself from replying angrily to this, determined not to give away her feelings.

"So?" Sherry asked him, "What stops you from talking then? I thought that you weren't scared of anyone…" she added a bit mockingly, fed up of his behaviour.

"Oh no Sheru, Huda is never scared of anyone." He replied proudly, "You know our Qaidi… I don't want to get him in trouble if he loses his temper. But this Jhabreela… why is he always around you? Doesn't he have anything better to do than hang around female cadets?"

The last sentence was said angrily and Sherry stared at Huda, finally stopping her laps around the ground.

"You had better not be saying what I think you're saying." She told him warningly, "Because if you are…"

"Then what?" Huda asked her, his tone now almost mocking. "Right now it's only me saying it, soon everybody will be. Just wait until they all find out… I know exactly what's going on, I saw him hug you at the New Year's Party, I can't believe he would fall in love with one of his students."

"You have absolutely no idea what you're talking about." Sherry told him, jabbing her finger in his chest. "There's nothing going on between he and I and there never will be. Abhimanyu Sir isn't in love with me, if he's with me often then it's because he's been trying to look after me… probably for Bhaiyya's sake."

Huda snorted at this. "Huda is not a fool, Sherry." He told her, "If you don't want to admit it then don't, once I tell everybody what I've seen they can make up their own minds about exactly how shameless he is."

There was a moment of deathly silence as Sherry just stared at him and then before he even saw her move she had punched him hard with her right fist, hitting him squarely in the eye.

Huda reeled backwards clutching his face, and just stared at her, never having expected this.

"You listen to me now, Huda." Sherry told him, her voice shaking, with anger and perhaps a little fear as well. "Before you start gossiping and ruin someone's reputation, think first. Because if I hear you say this ever again I'll break your damn nose and spoil those good looks you're so proud of."

Huda was both angry and upset, but mainly he was too shocked to be able to react properly, instead he said the first thing that came into his head. "I never knew you cared so much about your reputation." He told her, his tone half mocking and half hurt.

Sherry gave a short, bitter laugh. "I don't give a damn about my reputation, Huda, I'm worried about Abhimanyu Sir's. Don't you have any shame to ruin your teacher's career for your stupid jealousy? Don't ever link his name with mine again, you have no idea what the consequences are."

Angrily she ran off, struggling not to cry, because really, she was the only one who knew what the consequences were.

And what Huda had just suggested was never possible… even if…

Even if she wished it could be.

/

Naina and Raj walked hand in hand into the café, Naina still confused about exactly what it was that they were doing. All she knew was that they were meeting Abhimanyu here, but not about the purpose. Raj had told her that everything would be revealed once they arrived and she trusted him.

Spotting Abhi at a secluded table at the back, they crossed the café quickly to join him, ordering drinks and waiting until they were delivered to begin speaking. Naina stirred her coffee nervously, sensing trouble but clueless as to what it might be.

Once the waitress had left, Raj voiced his concerns, wanting to solve the mystery as soon as possible. "Whoever called to tell you about Navin… did you recognize the voice or did they give you any other clues, especially about how they found out?" Raj asked Abhi, it had been bothering him ever since the incident.

"No clues," Abhi replied regretfully, "And I didn't recognize the voice either. How do you think they found out? Besides you and Naina, who else knew the truth."

"Besides us, only my mother knows and she would never have told anyone. Neither Raj nor I have told anyone either…" Naina told him quietly, trailing off at the end of the sentence.

Raj and Abhi reached the same conclusion at the same time and Raj sighed as he remembers the conversation that Naina and he had had recently about Navin's death.

"You think your quarters might be bugged." Abhi stated and Raj nodded in agreement. "Then there's only one way to find out." He told Raj, and draining their coffees and quickly paying for the bill, they headed back to the academy and Raj and Naina's quarters.

Naina sat in the mess while they search the entire quarters, nervously waiting to hear the results. The idea that somebody could have invaded hers and Raj's privacy like that, that they might have...

When Raj and Abhi were finished, they gestured to her to join them outside in the grounds, and Naina followed quietly. Raj could tell that she was shaken by what had happened and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder comfortingly, rubbing her arm as she leaned into his touch.

When they were far enough from the buildings and any other people, they stopped, Raj glancing around before they started to speak. They hadn't checked Abhi's quarters for bugs yet, so they were not prepared to take any chances.

"There's a bug in the outer room of our quarters," he told Naina, "None in the bedroom."

She couldn't stop herself from breathing a sigh of relief, because for a spy to have heard anything personal... the idea was too much to bear.

"So have you removed it?" She asked, "Is it gone?"

They both glanced at each other, before Raj turned back to her.

"Actually Naina... it might be better to leave it there." he told her, "Now that we know it's there, we'll be careful with what we say and we might be able to use it to our advantage to catch this spy."

Naina was silent, struggling with her feelings. On one hand she couldn't stand the thought of anyone listening to them, and on the other hand, she knew how important Raj's mission was and wanted to do everything to make it a success.

Finally she nodded once, "I'll do my best."she told them both, "I'll try to behave as normally as possible."

Raj wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the top of the head, truly proud of her.

/

So far every plan of Ritu's had failed, but that didn't mean she was going to give up easily. She still had many options left, it was a new year and today... today she wasn't taking no for an answer.

She planned her movements well, ensuring that she would casually run into him while he was between classes, at a time when the first year cadets and one in particular would be in Major Nair's drill. This time there would be no interference from anybody.

Ritu had dressed carefully, ensuring that she was as dazzlingly beautiful as always. Adjusting her pallu over her shoulder one more time to ensure that there was just enough skin revealed, she set out. It was easier than she could've imagined, he was distracted, looking down at some notes he was carrying and she waited until he was about to turn the corner before she did he same, banging purposefully into him.

"I'm so sorry, Dr. Mishra!" Abhimanyu exclaimed, "I wasn't looking where I was going."

Ritu sighed with just the right amount of annoyance. "Are we back to Dr. Mishra again, Abhimanyu?" She asked him, "I thought I had asked you to call me Ritu."

"Sorry Ritu," he replied with a cautious smile, "I had forgotten for a moment."

"I think you've also forgotten something else," she told him pointedly, "You were going to take me to a movie. Now that Captain Rajveer and his wife are back in the academy, you have no excuse."

Abhi's face turned blank for a moment as he experienced a feeling of panic. He truly did have no excuse, and there was nobody around to provide him with one. He really had no choice except to say yes. He was trapped.

"Of course... why not?" he asked, trying to hide his growing feeling of unease.

"Good, tonight then." Ritu told him with a smile, not wanting there to be any possibility of the plan falling through. "I'll pick you up from your quarters at seven."

"Seven then..." Abhimanyu repeated blankly as she disappeared down the hall.

It had happened so fast he had been unable to do anything to stop it, and now there was only one thought in his mind... a thought he couldn't shake, no matter how hard he tried.

What on earth was he going to tell Sherry?

/

By the time the cadets returned to the academy after Major Nair's drill the news had already spread, so that within a few minutes of arriving, everybody knew. Aalekh watched Sherry carefully but her face remained blank, expressionless. By contrast, Huda was overjoyed.

"I was wrong!" he had exclaimed, coming over to where Sherry stood with Aalekh by her side. "Oy Sheru, sorry about all that!" and then he had bounced happily away to hear some more gossip.

Sherry had shaken her head and sighed slightly but didn't say anything. Aalekh decided it was better not to ask, because she would never tell him the truth about how she was feeling anyway. All he could do was wait, and hope that his friend would be alright.

/

Abhi was surprised by how excited the rest of KMA appeared to be about his date, especially since he wasn't excited at all.

Pooja hadn't stopped grinning at him since class started and for the first time ever, Huda was actually smiling at him instead of scowling, despite the black eye on his face that had mysteriously appeared the previous day.

Only two faces remained impassive. Aalekh never showed much expression anyway, but today his face was particularly closed off and Sherry... she hadn't looked at him once since the class had begun.

He couldn't shake the feeling that he had betrayed her, broken her trust. He had promised her that he would stay away from Dr. Mishra and now... he didn't think he could cope with it if she started avoiding him again, last time had been hard enough.

He had planned to call out to her once the class ended, but to his surprise she stayed back anyway, waiting until everybody left before approaching him.

"I couldn't find any excuse," Abhi blurted out before Sherry could speak, "When she asked I couldn't find any believable reason to say no."

"It's alright," Sherry replied quietly and he was stunned to realise that she didn't seem upset with him. "It's probably for the best that you said yes."

"But all this time you've been telling me..." Abhi started, confused, and Sherry shook her head once as if to clarify.

"You still need to be careful of the shrink," she warned, "I don't trust her at all... be on your guard, but it might be better if people think you are interested in Dr. Mishra."

"Why?" Abhi asked her, stunned. How could that possibly be a good thing?

"Because Huda is an idiot." Sherry told him bluntly. "He thinks you're in love with me. I managed to persuade him with great difficulty that you're not and that he should shut up about it."

Suddenly something clicked into place. "Huda has a black eye." Abhi stated, looking at her expectantly.

"Exactly," Sherry replied with a hint of humour glinting in her eyes, "I managed to persuade him with great difficulty. So maybe Dr. Mishra asking you out right now is a good thing because it's best if people like Huda don't think things like that, or the consequences..." she stopped abruptly and then smiled at him a bit sadly. "I hope you enjoy the movie," she told him, "Just watch your popcorn and drink. I don't trust her not to drug them." She left before he could respond.

Abhi stared after her, one sentence echoing in his mind.

Huda thought that...

But he was wrong of course.

Wasn't he?

/

Naina smiled as she heard the knock on the door, pausing as she laid out plates on the bench.

Raj opened the door and finding his little sister there, hugged her lightly and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm glad you could join us." he told her, "Naina thought it would be nice if we had a family dinner tonight."

Naina had had other reasons as well, and not just wanting whoever might be listening to think everything was normal. With the news she had heard today and what it was that she suspected, Naina had guessed that Sherry might need some distraction tonight.

"It's almost ready," Naina had announced, and Sherry had wandered into the kitchen area, peering into the pans before she crossed to Naina's side, hugging her sister-in-law.

"You're the best, Bhabhi." Sherry told her, "Bhaiyya is going to get fat eating food like this, in fact I think both of you have put some weight on already."

"Well we'd better feed you too then," Naina replied with a laugh, "Because you're as thin as ever."

They sat down to dinner, making light conversation although Sherry was quieter than usual. Finally Raj brought up the topic he'd been waiting to begin, knowing that he should do it sooner rather than later.

"The preparations for the Republic Day celebrations have already begun," he informed them both, "It'll be a large celebration this year, and Sherry, I thought you should know that your father will be coming."

He had expected an angry outburst and yelling but she was silent for a moment instead.

"I suppose I should have expected it," she finally said, "It'll be a good photo opportunity for him."

"All parents come on Republic Day to see their children in the parade," Raj told her, "It's a tradition."

"Exactly, a perfect photo opportunity. Patriotic Minister Gehlot and his daughter training for the Indian Army." Sherry rolled her eyes at the idea, "Whatever, I just hope he doesn't expect me to play along."

She got up and cleared the plates and Naina made a sign to Raj to let her handle it. He nodded, trusting her to know what it would be best to do.

"When was the last time you oiled your hair?" Naina asked Sherry, who looked at her in disbelief.

"Bhabhi, do I look like the type of girl who bothers to oil my hair?" she asked, and Naina laughed.

"Come into the bedroom." Naina told her, knowing that they would be able to talk there without anyone listening in. "I'll do it for you."

Sherry shot Raj a helpless look but followed Naina anyway, who closed the door behind them.

As Sherry sat in front of her, Naina began the process, working the oil in gently.

"I haven't done this since my mother died," Sherry admitted, "There was no one..."

She didn't need to continue, Naina understood.

"You've been quieter lately," Naina told her, "Are you upset about something?"

Sherry was silent and Naina continued, "Whatever it is, you can tell me if you want to. I won't tell anyone, not even Raj. I know there are some things that a sister can't tell her brother."

"There are some things... that are difficult right now." Sherry admitted, "But I'm trying to handle it, I just need to remember what I should and shouldn't do."

Naina hesitated to say the next sentence, unsure of what the response would be, but she wanted to tell Sherry anyway, to reassure her. "You know... there's nothing wrong with falling in love."

Sherry froze under Naina's hands, as still as a statue. "Bhabhi, I'm not..." she finally said, trailing off uncertainly, almost as if she wished she could admit that she was.

"You don't have to say anything." Naina told her gently, "All I want you to know is that we don't always have control over our emotions or who we fall in love with. Sherry, I know that now might not be the time, that there might be... obstacles, but eventually I want to see you happy, settled with somebody you love."

Sherry was silent, and when Naina turned her gently around to face her, there were tears in her eyes.

"I love you Bhabhi," was all Sherry could say, hugging Naina.

Because she couldn't tell her sister-in-law that however much she wanted the same things, some obstacles were too large to overcome.

/

Ritu thought that the evening was going fairly well so far. She and Abhimanyu had made polite conversation, and she had made sure to laugh at all the right moments and behave just flirtatiously enough. He could have no doubts now about her liking him. He seemed a little distracted but she just hoped that was due to how beautiful she was looking that night.

She had chosen a romantic, sad film to watch, using the opportunity to cry onto his shoulder, slightly disappointed when he didn't put his arm around her to comfort her.

Still, not everything could happen in one night.

Ritu was prepared to wait.

/

Abhimanyu barely noticed the movie. He barely noticed Dr. Mishra either.

Because there was one thought that kept going through his head, that he just couldn't get rid of.

Huda had said that...

No, the idea was ridiculous. She was his best friend's sister, his student, all he had ever wanted was to see her happy, look after her. He had never had any such intentions or thoughts...

Then why couldn't he stop thinking of her right now, of the searching looks she gave him sometimes as if she wanted to say more, of her laughter as she joked with Pooja, of the way he had felt when she had avoided him, as if he had lost something precious.

Huda thought that Abhi was in love with her.

It was ridiculous, it couldn't be true.

But what if it was?

Because as he imagined the sad smile that she gave him so often, the dull ache in his chest told him exactly what the truth was.


	39. Chapter 38

Chapter Thirty Eight

Naina had just arrived home from college and gotten changed into some casual clothes when there was a soft knock on the door. She opened it to find Sherry standing there, looking tired and a little bit upset, but with determination in her eyes.

"Bhabhi I've made a very serious decision and I need your help for it." She announced to Naina, marching into the room.

For a moment Naina was worried, after all there were so many things going on in Sherry's life that any serious decision she made could have extreme consequences.

"What is it that you need help with?" she asked cautiously, "What decision have you made?"

Seeing Naina looking so unsure, Sherry rolled her eyes. "Don't worry Naina, it's nothing that you'll get into trouble with Bhaiyya for… in fact he might even be happy. Close the door and we'll get started."

Naina had to admit, that when Sherry phrased it like that she was certainly intrigued.

/

With only a week left, preparations for Republic Day were in full swing. All of the cadets had been assigned different tasks, whether it was for the decorations, the food, or the accommodation for the parents. Sherry was surprised when along with Ali she was assigned part of the responsibility for the march past.

"It must be my new hair…" she remarked to Pooja half sarcastically and half humorously, trying to hide how happy it really had made her. "They trust me more now."

With Naina's help she had dyed her hair the night before, getting rid of the red streaks and tying it in the regulation braid. Despite her friends asking many times, she still refused to tell them the reason.

Pooja made a face at her. "You're the lucky one," she told Sherry, "My connection is busy with decorating the academy."

"So what's so bad about that?" Yudi asked her, "You did a great job of the decorations for Independence Day."

"There's nothing bad with it… except that it's a conference call with Major Nair." Pooja told them, "He wants me to look through his photo collection and pick out all the ones of the old Republic Day celebrations. Do you know how many photos that Mucchad actually has? It's going to take me all week!"

"Cheer up Punjaben," Huda told her, "I'll gladly swap with you… I can't believe that they've made me a Bawarchi."

Yudi hid a grin at this, glad that this time Huda's attitude had been taken down a notch by having to help with the cooking.

"Well just make sure that you all get your accommodation forms to me and Aalekh on time," Yudi told them, "Or we're not going to be blamed when there's no rooms for your parents."

The bell rung just then, reminding all of them that they needed to go to their assigned duties. Until Republic Day, everybody would be concentrating on getting the arrangements exactly right. Sighing, Pooja bid goodbye to everyone else, giving a mournful look to Ali.

"Don't worry Pooja, it will be okay." He tried to reassure her, "Don't let Major Nair scare you, I know you'll do a wonderful job."

"Thank you mera Ranjha," Pooja told him with a sweet smile, "You've really given me a recharge right now. After all, how bad can looking through Mucchad's photos really be? He's so lazy he'll probably leave me to do it all by myself."

/

Pooja had been right. As soon as she arrived in Major Nair's room he had dumped several boxes of photos in front of her and excused himself, saying that he had some duties to attend to.

She spent a few minutes muttering about exactly how necessary his outgoing call really was before getting started on the work. It took her hours going through all the photos, opening every box. Fortunately Major Nair seemed to be somewhat organized, having separate boxes for separate occasions.

Pooja had just opened another smallish box when she noticed that it seemed like it was photos taken of a ball of KMA. She looked through them quickly, admiring the dresses of the girls when suddenly she spotted a familiar face.

That was Naina's brother… standing arm in arm with a girl holding up a mask in front of her face.

She was just about to look to see if there was more when the door opened, startling Pooja. Hurriedly she shoved the photo back into the pile and closed the lid on the box as Major Nair walked in, not wanting him to see what she was looking at.

"Have you finished yet, Cadet Ghai?" he asked her, sneeringly. "Or does it take you as long to sort through photos as it does to complete your drills?"

"No Sir! I'm finished now!" Pooja told him, too scared to say anything else. She wished she could've gotten those photos for Naina, but now that he was back…

With a sigh, Pooja took the photos that she had found and left the room as quickly as possible, feeling very nervous under Major Nair's glare.

/

Naina tried not to look self conscious as all the first year cadets filed into the classroom, glancing at her curiously. She was half amused and half nervous about what Raj had requested her to help with, never having had to help with any of his classes before.

"Good afternoon Mrs Shekawat!" Some of the cadets greeted her as she came in, Sherry gave her a bright smile, and Naina was once again struck by the difference that the new hair made on her. She looked older, more mature, and a bit softer too. Aalekh also gave Naina a small smile, standing close by to her sister-in-law.

Naina was proud of the way he had taken on the responsibility of looking after her, she knew that given the opportunity Aalekh would fulfill any responsibilities given to him, all he needed was a chance and for somebody to trust him. Pooja entered along with Ali and on seeing Naina looked like she really wanted to say something to her, but stopped herself when she glanced around seeing everybody else there. Naina wondered what it was, but she didn't have long to ponder because as soon as everybody had entered the empty classroom, Raj called them to attention.

"You must be wondering what we're all doing in this empty classroom today, and also why Naina has joined us." He told them, a small smile on his face. "Well as you all know, we're currently preparing for Republic Day. What you might not know is that a number of important dignitaries will be visiting us on the occasion and we will be holding a formal ball to as part of the celebrations to welcome them. As officers in the Indian Army you will have to attend many such occasions with your seniors as well as politicians, so it's important that you start practicing now. Naina has joined me today so that she can help me to demonstrate the proper steps for waltzing. Now I want you all to find a partner, unless you would like me to choose for you…" He raised his eyebrow with the last statement as the cadets scrambled to get to whoever they would prefer to dance with.

Pooja grabbed Ali's hand possessively while he blushed, Huda headed towards Sherry before stopping midway when he saw her nod at Aalekh, giving him a small smile. Hiding a scowl, he headed towards Sonali, bowing down to her charmingly. Yudi ends up partnered with Vaishali, and the rest of the cadets paired up as well.

Raj extended his hand out to Naina and she felt her heart flutter, trying to hide a smile at her own silliness. She'd been married to him for such a long time now, and yet every time he looked at her with that gaze, she once again felt like a teenager on a first date.

"Alright cadets," Raj instructed them, "Turn to face each other. Boys, put your hand on your partner's waist, and take her other hand like so. Girls, put your free hand on your partner's shoulder."

He demonstrated, placing his hand firmly on Naina's waist while he took her other hand gently in his. Squeezing it slightly, he gave her a wink that the class couldn't see, and she once again tried to hide a smile as she put her hand on his shoulder.

Raj turned to survey the class, and sighed at what he saw. "Cadet Baig, you're meant to have your hand on Cadet Ghai's waist, not next to it." He informed Ali, and rolling her eyes, Pooja reached out and took Ali's hand, placing it firmly on her waist before returning hers to his shoulder.

Letting go of Naina, Raj walked around the room correcting everybody's stance, nodding at his sister when he saw that she had made sure she and Aalekh were in the right positions. They had both had dance lessons when they were younger, Gehlot Saheb had made sure that nothing was missing in their upbringing… Raj wondered where things had gone wrong, when the Minister had stopped paying attention to his daughter's life and only focused on his career. He had been busy even when Raj was younger, but now… something had changed. Perhaps he didn't want to admit that the man he admired so much didn't care enough about his daughter.

He returned to Naina then, and seeing his serious expression she gave him an enquiring look but he just shook his head slightly to indicate that he would tell her later. For the next half hour he tried to teach the cadets to waltz, frequently hiding smiles at their mistakes. Aalekh had proved a fast learner, and both Huda and Sonali were doing well. Yudi wasn't so bad once he gained some confidence, but every time he got nervous he fell all over Vaishali's feet. Ali was probably the worst off, although he was graceful, he was too shy to lead Pooja in the dance properly.

Observing them, and occasionally calling out comments and suggestions to them, Raj turned to find Naina watching him with a smile on her face.

"What is it?" he asked her quietly so that the cadets couldn't hear.

"I was just remembering when you taught me to dance." She told him, "We've come such a long way since then…"

Raj reached out to take her hand, squeezing it. For a moment he was unable to look away from her, entranced by the glow on her face, her shyness as she looked at him. He was brought back to reality by the sound of the bell, and turned to find most of the cadets watching them, looking somewhat amused. Raj struggled not to blush, telling himself it would be ridiculous to feel embarrassed in front of them.

"Alright cadets, if I'm not wrong then you have a class with Major Nair next so you had better hurry if you don't want to be in trouble!" he warned them, and the cadets filtered out of the classroom, Pooja glancing back over her shoulder as if she still wanted to say something.

"Yet again I couldn't get my call to Naina connected…" she muttered under her breath, and Aalekh paused beside her.

"What's wrong, Punjaben?" he asked her, "You need to talk to Naina?"

"Actually when I was looking through Major Nair's photos there were some pictures of her brother there…" Pooja told Aalekh, "I thought that Naina should know."

"Then why didn't you take them for her?" Aalekh asked, frustrated. "She should have them."

"As soon as I found them, Mucchad arrived back… I couldn't do anything." Pooja replied, equally as frustrated, "What should I do now?"

"Just leave that up to me." Aalekh told her, a glint in his eyes.

He knew what his responsibilities were.

He would definitely fulfil them.

/

As soon as the cadets were gone, Raj took Naina's hand in his, before placing his other hand on her waist, beginning to waltz with her properly. She laughed happily, content to sway in his arms.

"I'm looking forward to Republic Day," she told him, "It's definitely going to be a special occasion, and I can't wait to finally meet your godfather."

"Hmmm," Raj replied thoughtfully, "Well, I just hope that everything goes well… it's an important occasion for the academy."

"Are you worried?" Naina asked him quietly, "That something might…"

"There's no indication that anything will go wrong…" Raj reassured her, "I think we should have a perfectly peaceful Republic Day, not like Independence Day…" He still remembered the blast, which could easily have killed Dr. Mishra…

"The ball should be fun as well," Naina said, "I wanted to take Sherry out to buy something to wear, it's her first ball at the academy after all."

"Whose idea was it to dye her hair?" Raj asked curiously, "Did you suggest it?"

"No, she came to me herself and asked me to do it." Naina informed him, as he dipped her over slightly, "I can't help but think that it's important, that maybe finally she's accepted that she belongs here."

"I hope so," Raj replied, "And I hope that Lala Saheb might notice… and show her some approval. There's so many bad feelings between the two of them that I have no idea how their relationship can be repaired."

"Sometimes these things need time…" Naina told him, "In the beginning your relationship with Sherry wasn't good either… but now it's obvious to everybody how much you love each other."

"That's all because of you." Raj told Naina, leaning in to kiss her cheek, "I could never have done it without you."

He spun her out and back in suddenly, and feeling faint at the sudden movement, she pressed a hand to her forehead, leaning over slightly.

"Are you alright?" Raj asked her, concerned, smoothing circles on his back.

"I think it's just been far too long since we last did this." She told him, "I'm not used to it anymore."

"Then we'll have to practice far more in future." Raj replied, "But for now, I think we've had enough."

Stepping back and still holding her hand, he bowed to her slightly and then raised it to his lips.

"Flirt." Naina accused him playfully.

"Always." He promised her with a smile.

/

The last bell had already rung and Ali had left to meet Pooja when Sherry flopped down on the grass, determined to spend a few moments alone before returning to the hostel. She needed to prepare herself, her father was arriving in less than a week and she hadn't seen him since he dropped her off at Diwali.

She wished that she never had to see him again.

She fought against the wave of hatred that rose in her at the thought of him. She had to control her emotions, it was better if her brother and Naina didn't find out what he really was, because if they did…

She couldn't lose them, not now, when she'd finally learnt what family really was.

Her solitude didn't last for long however, as she spotted a familiar figure approaching her and struggled to suppress the smile that rose automatically to her lips.

She had to stop this… she'd told herself so many times and yet somehow her heart never listened.

She should never have fallen for him… because all she could give him was ruination.

She looked up as he approached her, picking blades of grass absentmindedly. He smiled at her almost self consciously and she wondered what had happened. Usually he was perfectly open around her, she could guess his thoughts clearly, but today he seemed almost guarded, as if he didn't want her to know what he was feeling.

"I like your new hair." Abhimanyu began, sitting down beside her, "It suits you."

Against her will, Sherry smiled again, remembering their very first conversation, and judging by the expression on his face, he remembered it too.

"Thanks," she replied, "I thought that it was time for a change."

"You've stopped rebelling," he remarked, "At least against the military."

She should've known that he would understand her reasons for doing it, that this was her way of declaring that she had now accepted her life in KMA, that it was what she wanted. Nobody could ever force her to change her hair but now she had chosen it for herself.

She fingered one darkened strand of hair thoughtfully, before tucking it back behind her ear. Abhi looked away from her, he'd been wishing that he could have done the same thing ever since he sat down.

"When my father arrives, I hope he realizes it as well." Sherry said quietly, "He should know that I'm serious about this, that I'm going to protect my country."

"Are you worried about what he thinks?" Abhi asked her, "Does it really matter to you?" He was curious, because before now he had always felt that Sherry hated her father, that she had no desire to see him at all.

"No, it makes no difference to me what he thinks." She said, and he could tell by her tone that it was true, "I just want him to know."

She looked down at the ground then, continuing to pick at blades of grass, and he took the opportunity to really look at her properly.

She was even more beautiful than he had realized, it was easier to see it now that she'd stopped purposefully hiding it. There was something in her that shone past all of the hostility and anger. Perhaps that is why he had…

"So when are you going to change your hair?" she finally asked him, when the silence had stretched on for too long.

"Why?" Abhi replied, "Do you think I should?"

Sherry shook her head, "No, I like your hair the way it is." She told him seriously, "You don't need to change anything."

He stared at her for a moment, unable to respond, and she looked away because the expression on his face was far too intense. If she didn't know better she would say that it was one of longing, and she couldn't allow that to happen, not ever.

"Sherry, I…" Abhi started to say, and then stopped himself because really, what could he tell her, that Huda was right? That without realizing when it had happened he'd fallen in love with her? That he now couldn't imagine his life without her in it?

"You don't need to change anything either," he finally told her, "You've always been perfect the way you are."

And she smiled, slightly self consciously, and he fell for her all over again.

Despite the fact that he really, really shouldn't.

For so many reasons, including the ones that he didn't know yet.


	40. Chapter 39

Chapter Thirty Nine

By the time Republic Day arrived, all of the arrangements had luckily been completed after the cadets went into overdrive trying to get everything done on time. While most cadets were quite excited at the idea of seeing their parents again after such a long time and proving themselves, there were some who were more nervous than the rest... such as Ali and Pooja.

It would be the first time that they were introducing each other to their families, and they were hoping that nothing would go wrong. While they weren't ready to tell their families about their relationship just yet, both of them knew how important it was to make a good first impression. In fact Pooja had been practicing what she would say to the Baigs to any of her friends who would listen, which after she'd done it the first twenty times was not many. Even when everybody else was sick of it, Naina still listened to her sympathetically, providing helpful hints.

Now as they stood in the entrance hall waiting for everybody's parents to arrive, Aalekh lounged against one of the pillars looking decidedly disinterested. He had nobody coming for him, he knew that. In many ways he had accepted Naina's mother as his own, but he didn't expect her to come here today, he knew it would've been too painful for her. Beside him, Sherry started kicked the pillar absentmindedly with her boot, muttering under her breath. He didn't say anything about it, he thought it was probably best not to.

"Oy don't worry Qaidi," Huda announced cheerfully to him, "When my mummyji comes she'll have brought more than enough sweets for all of us. Just wait until you meet her, my mummyji is so..." As he kept rambling on about his mother, Aalekh rolled his eyes. At least somebody was happy today.

As the first car pulled up, Pooja squealed, rushing down to meet her parents, while Ali turned whiter and whiter.

"Don't worry Ali, they'll love you." Yudi tried to reassure him, "You're exactly the type of seedha saadha guy that all parents want their daughters to marry."

As soon as Pooja and her parents had finished hugging each other, she dragged them up to introduce them to her friends. Huda was charming as always, while Yudi greeted them politely and Aalekh was silent. Sherry managed a smile even though she felt sick to her stomach. Finally the moment they had all waited for arrived, as she gestured to Ali to introduce him.

"And this is Ali, Ali Baig... do you know, he's the third generation of his family to go into the army? Actually he's very patriotic, he's been responsible for organising the march past today... and he has five sisters too, so you know he's always very respectful to women, and..."

Luckily a car horn interrupted Pooja's very long introduction speech as Ali very nervously greeted her parents. Yudi sighed as his parents stepped out of the car, his mother sniffing at the outside of the academy to show she didn't approve of it. He sighed once again as Neelu stepped out behind them, now here was trouble.

Aalekh almost fell back when he saw her, except that he had the pillar for support. She hadn't warned him that she was coming... she should've told him something at least. She winked at him as they grew closer, making him feel even more nervous. Yudi didn't know yet, and if he found out...

"Relax..." Sherry told him under her breath, "You look like you want to run away right this minute, I thought that she was your girlfriend."

"She is... that's the problem." Aalekh replied.

Yudi also introduced his parents to everybody, although they didn't seem very interested except for when he introduced the girls, obviously hoping that one of them was his love interest.

"Hi Aalekh," Neelu said with a smile, coming to stand next to him while he gave her a slight warning look.

"How do you two know each other?" Mrs Sahni asked suspiciously.

"Oh we went to the fresher's ball together," Neelu replied casually, before grinning at Aalekh when her mother turned away. Despite himself, he couldn't help but grin back.

Huda's mother soon arrived, hugging everybody and promising them lots of sweets, after which Ali's mother and sisters arrived in an autorickshaw. He introduced everybody, saving Pooja for last, who immediately befriended his sisters, chatting away to them like she'd known them for years. Everybody was quite impressed that she was able to limit her use of mobile language so much.

It was then that Raj and Naina arrived, and were quickly surrounded by the rest of the cadets who wanted to introduce their families to them. The only ones who hung back were Sherry and Aalekh for obvious reasons, and Neelu, who had already met both Captain Rajveer and Naina, and was now chatting with Aalekh even as he noticed that Yudi was giving them curious looks.

Abhimanyu arrived shortly after that, also greeting the cadets' families before he came to stand with Aalekh, Sherry and Neelu. Watching him pretend not to look at Sherry worriedly, Aalekh quickly decided that it was time for him and Neelu to make an exit.

"Ah, we'll go and catch up with Yudi." He announced quickly before tugging her forward, making Neelu give him a curious look.

"Are you alright, Sherry?" Abhi asked her quietly after they were gone, "I know you're not looking forward to seeing him..."

"That's an understatement," Sherry replied, "I feel like throwing up at the thought of seeing him. I've been praying all week that there'll be some sort of emergency with the government that will prevent him from coming."

"It will be fine," Abhi tried to reassure her, placing a hand on her shoulder before he could stop himself, "He's only coming for a day... and you'll be so busy with the ceremonies that you won't have to spend much time with him if you don't want to."

Sherry nodded and seemed like she was about to say something else when she suddenly froze, seeing an official car pull up. Shrugging Abhi's hand off her shoulder she moved away from him quickly, going to stand with Raj and Naina, who were deep in conversation. Naina looked quite pale, and Sherry realised how nervous she must be.

"Don't worry Bhabhi, it will be fine." Sherry tried to reassure her, "If he doesn't like you then it's his loss."

Naina didn't have time to reply, because at that moment Lala Gehlot stepped out of his car, surrounded by his bodyguards. Sherry hung back as Raj went forward to greet him, touching his feet and then hugging him. Naina stepped forward shyly, also touching his feet before standing there nervously.

Gehlot placed a hand on her head as if in blessing.

"I have to admit Raj, that when I first found out that you had married her, I was very angry at you." Gehlot told him sternly, "But now that I see her for myself, I can understand why you did, your wife is lovely."

"Thank you, Sir." Raj told him, very relieved that it seemed like he had accepted Naina. Naina smiled, some colour finally coming back in her face.

Sherry just shook her head, she could see right past all of his pretences.

"And where's my daughter?" Gehlot announced loudly, probably for the benefit of the crowd that had gathered. "I can't wait to see what KMA has made out of her."

Sherry stepped forward reluctantly, and saw his eyes widen slightly on seeing her changed appearance before he nodded. "Excellent." he said, and hugged her, ignoring the fact that she was stiff in his arms. The moment he let go of her she stepped back, going to stand next to Naina.

It was then that Abhimanyu stepped forward, also touching her father's feet before Gehlot hugged him. "I can see you still haven't cut your hair," Gehlot commented humorously, and Abhi gave a half smile in return.

"Well, I'll go and greet Brigadier Chandook now," he announced, leaving with his bodyguards.

Naina let out a long breath. "Well that went better than I expected it to." she announced, and Raj put his arm around her shoulder, hugging her to him.

"How could he not like you?" Raj asked her, "It would've been impossible... and Lala Saheb has more sense than to blame you for things that are not your fault."

Naina nodded, hoping that it was true.

"Well, shall we move inside?" Raj asked them, taking his arm from around Naina's shoulder to place it on the small of her back instead. "The ceremonies will start soon, and you in particular have to be in the right place, Sherry."

She nodded, he was right.

After all, she would show her father what he had made out of her.

Whether he had intended to or not...

/

The ceremonies went smoothly, everybody's parents watching proudly as they marched past. Naina tried to suppress her disappointment when the names of the martyrs were read out and her brother's was not among them. She couldn't have expected... there was no way that they would've, and yet still she had wished for the possibility. But looking at Raj standing beside her, Naina was confident that it was only a matter of time, they would prove Navin innocent eventually. No matter what happened, Raj would keep his promise.

She had been relieved that his godfather had been so welcoming to her, and yet it confused her too. He had seemed nice, if a little formal, but the fact that his daughter hated him so much, surely it meant something. All Naina hoped was that today could maybe bring some understanding between father and daughter, that they might somehow repair their relationship.

She didn't realize exactly how impossible that would be.

/

"Hey Punjaben…" Aalekh muttered to her when the ceremonies had finally concluded, "Exactly where are those photos that Mucchad has?"

"Why?" Pooja had asked him, surprised, "What type of talktime are you planning?"

"Don't worry about that, just tell me where I can find them."

Pooja quickly described exactly where they were within the room and gave Aalekh a curious look, she didn't have much time to worry about it though, because all of the parents were already approaching them, and she was quickly swept up in hugs by hers before they started clicking pictures of her on their phones.

Aalekh found Neelu in the crowd, and gesturing to her, asked her to come aside to talk to him.

"Will you come to the ball tonight with me?" he asked her, causing her to look surprised.

"So you really don't care if Yudi finds out about us?" she asked him, "I thought we were still hiding it…"

They had always had a very casual and carefree type of relationship, seeing each other when they had the time but also giving each other space. Aalekh liked it that way and he knew that Neelu did too, but there was a part of him that thought maybe one day, when he was more settled in life…

"We'll tell him whatever you want… but I need your help with something." He told her, and she nodded. If there was one thing that Neelu loved, it was excitement, and Aalekh's words seemed to promise that.

/

Sherry was not surprised when immediately after the ceremonies, the press descended, wanting to take pictures of her with her father. She stood stiffly beside him, refusing to smile, as he placed his arm around her shoulders and plastered a proud expression on his face. Once again she resisted the urge to throw up, barely waiting until the photographers had left to shrug his arm off her.

Immediately she headed for Naina and Raj, both of whom hugged her warmly, congratulating her on organizing the march past so well. Abhi also approached her, wishing that he could hug her as well but knowing it would be inappropriate. Instead he gave her a warm smile, trying to show how proud he was of her. She returned it cautiously, before glancing worriedly in her father's direction. He walked up to meet them slowly, and she could tell by the look on his face that he was annoyed at being shunned by her so obviously.

It was then that her friends came over to join her, as Pooja hugged Sherry happily. "Oh Sherry, it's all going so well! I've made such a good connection with Ali's parents and sisters, and I think that my parents network is joining well with his too!"

"I'm so happy for you," Sherry told her genuinely, "See, I knew everything would work out."

"Are you going to come and join us in the canteen?" Yudi asked, "We might as well see whether Huda has a career as a bawarchi or not."

Yudi quickly dodged Huda's angry movement, hiding behind Aalekh who muttered "Nautanki Saala…" under his breath.

"I'll be there in awhile," Sherry told them, "You guys go ahead…" Nodding, they all left, still chatting and laughing amongst themselves.

"So what's planned for the rest of the day?" Gehlot asked, looking at his watch as he approached them.

"Well the rest of the day is free for the cadets to spend with their families, and then there's the ball in the evening." Raj told him, "Are you staying for that, Sir?"

"I'm not sure… it will depend on whether I receive any calls." Gehlot replied, "Well since now is family time… perhaps my daughter would like to spend some quality time with me?"

The look that he gave her showed that she clearly didn't have a choice. All that Sherry could do was nod, and follow him as he headed in the direction of the main building.

/

"Well… you seem to have settled in here quite well." He commented once they were in one of the VIP rooms, Sherry sitting stiffly in her seat.

"I've decided that my future is with the army." She told him in a very no nonsense tone, "I've always wished that I could protect my country… from whoever tried to hurt it."

He smirked at the hidden meaning in her sentence, knowing exactly what she was hinting at.

"And are you sure that you're ready for such a challenge?" he asked her, "You should be aware of what happens to those who challenge the wrong people… exactly how much they can lose. Just like poor Navin Singh Ahluwalia…"

He stopped on seeing the stiffness of her body, the sudden expression of shock in her eyes. She hadn't known… she had hoped that maybe it hadn't been… because now… Anger rose in her as she faced him, because she knew very well exactly what it was that he had just hinted at. There was no fear in him, no fear of exposure, because he knew very well exactly how much power he had over her.

"And what if I tell you that I don't care what happens to me… that I'll protect my country anyway because I've got nothing to lose." She told him challengingly, knowing that it was impossible, but not wanting him to get away with it.

"Then I would remind you…" he said in a quietly dangerous voice, "That everybody has something to lose… and I think that you have rather a lot, don't you?"

She refused to answer, refused to be afraid, looking him straight in the eye. She didn't believe that he would do anything to her, but even if he did… maybe it would be worth it.

"You've made quite good friends here, haven't you?" he asked in a seemingly casual tone, "You seem quite close to them… at least that was the way it seemed when I saw you together just now."

And she cursed herself, cursed herself for breaking her own rules, for becoming attached to people when she shouldn't have. The walls she had built up so carefully around herself had come down so easily here at KMA, and she should've had better self control, should've just refused all their kindness.

"And then there's your dear Bhaiyya and Bhabhi, isn't there?" he asked in such a fake sincere tone that she once again felt sick, "Naina has had so much trouble in her life already, the poor thing… wouldn't you hate for her to experience any more?"

Sherry tried to control her hands from shaking, clutching the arms of her chair. He had her right where he wanted her, he knew that she wouldn't be able to speak against him, wouldn't be able to tell the truth. He'd known for years.

"Stay away from them." She told him, her voice trembling, "I swear if you do anything to any of them…"

"Then what?" he asked her, openly mocking now, "You'll expose me? With the little that you know and no proof? Grow up Sherry, and stop trying to play this game. You'll never beat me."

"I hate you." She told him, spitting the words out even as she trembled, "I hate you so much… I wish I'd been born a bastard rather than having a father like you. Maybe not now… but one day you'll get what you deserve."

He laughed at her, laughed at her hatred. "Maybe I will, but you won't be the one to do anything to me… you don't have the strength. After all, what do you think all these new friends would think about you if they knew the truth? Who would stand by you if they knew what you really were?"

She knew what she was, the daughter of a traitor. She also knew, that none of the people she cared about could ever find out… not for her sake, but for theirs.

"Well I think I might go and spend some time with your brother and his wife…" Gehlot announced, standing up, "Why don't you go and sit with your friends? Enjoy them while you can…"

Saying this, he stood and left the room without a backwards glance. Sherry tried to follow, to make her way to her own room but her legs wouldn't carry her, trembling so much that she could barely move. The corridors were deserted with everybody celebrating and she sank to the ground, leaning against one of the pillars heavily.

She was a fool… she had always been a fool. She couldn't beat him, couldn't challenge him, because he would always take advantage of her weaknesses.

/

While the cadets had been celebrating happily with their families and teasing Huda about his food making skills, Abhi had been waiting worriedly while he sat with Naina, Raj and Shalini. Naina looked much happier now that the introduction to Lala was over, and was currently listening to stories about the Republic Day celebrations that Raj and Navin had taken part in while they were in the academy. When Lala walked back into the room, Abhi automatically looked behind him, waiting for Sherry to appear but she didn't. The older man took a seat with them, greeting Shalini charmingly, and Raj sighed.

"Did you and Sherry have another fight, Lala Saheb?" he asked him, noticing his sister's absence.

"Maybe I should…" Naina started to say, about to stand up from her seat as if to go and find her sister-in-law.

"No, everything is fine." Lala reassured them, "We had a real heart to heart and Sherry became quite emotional, I don't think she wanted anybody to see her in that state so she's taking some time for herself. Please sit with me and we'll get to know each other better."

Naina sat back down, nodding uncertainly, and Abhi tried not to frown, thinking that the words didn't ring true. "Shalini, why don't we leave them alone?" he suggested, "They must have a lot to catch up on."

"Definitely, I'll go and meet the cadets' families, I haven't had a chance yet." Shalini told him, as Abhi hurriedly stood up. Naina gave him a look almost as if she knew where he was headed and approved.

He didn't have any idea where to look for her but it turned out that he didn't have to look far at all, because halfway to the cadets hostel, he found her half collapsed against a pillar, a far away look in her eyes, her whole body trembling.

"Sherry," he called out to her, kneeling down beside her, but she didn't respond. "Sherry, what happened?" With no response, he began to get desperate, reaching out he touched her cheek lightly and she looked at him, as if shocked to see him there. "What happened?" he asked her worriedly. Looking down he saw that her hands were trembling and without thinking he took them both in his, but she just kept on shaking.

"Come on," he told her, knowing that he had to get her out of the hallway before somebody saw her like that. Pulling her up, he put one of her arms around his shoulder, winding his around her waist to support her. She leaned on him heavily, still appearing to be in a state of shock. He thought about taking her to her room, but doubted that she would make it that far, and his was closer. Pausing to open the door, he momentarily let go of her and she slumped against the wall, almost as if she no longer had the will to hold herself up.

He got her inside quickly and settled her on the couch before shutting the door behind them, thinking it would be best for nobody to find out.

"I'll just make you some tea," he told her, knowing that at least something warm might help to break her out of her shock, "Just try to relax, take deep breaths and calm down."

He made the tea as quickly as possible, constantly glancing over at her to check if she was alright. However when he tried to press it into her hands she was still shaking so badly that she almost dropped it, and he placed it on the coffee table in front of her instead, sitting down beside her and taking her hands in his, rubbing them. He forgot about everything he shouldn't be thinking and doing, because right now all he knew was that she needed to be comforted, to be helped.

"Can't you tell me?" he asked her desperately, letting go of one of her hands to tilt up her chin so that she had to look him in the eye. "What is it that you're so afraid of? What is it that makes you so upset? I want to help you Sherry… I… I can't bear to see you like this." Seeing the pain in his eyes as he looked at her was the last straw, and finally Sherry broke, beginning to sob uncontrollably, so hard that her body shuddered with it. He gathered her into his arms, hugging her as she cried and cried as if she would never stop, her breaths coming in gulps.

He remembered once offering her his shoulder to cry on and how she had told him if she started then she might never stop. He only realized today just how true that was. He rubbed her back comfortingly as she continued to cry, trying to soothe her, to at least make her feel a little bit better, calm her down. He was not sure how long they sat like that, but the way her head rested on his shoulder, her fist curled up against his shirt as she cried, he realized he would do anything to protect her, to try to take away her pain. She seemed so fragile right now, not like the normally tough Sherry who wasn't afraid to confront anybody.

Finally she stopped crying, but still didn't raise her head from his shoulder. He kept his arms around her, as they sat together perfectly still as if both of them were afraid to move. She leaned against him, taking a deep breath in, and allowed herself to pretend for a moment that it was okay, that she could tell him everything, that she could stay with him, that he wouldn't just help her, he would accept her as well.

Then she breathed out, and pulled away.

He looked down at her as if confused about what he should say or do next, his hands now gripping his knees tightly as if he was afraid that he would reach out for her again.

"I should go…" she told him, "I shouldn't have… I'm sorry."

"There's nothing to be sorry about," he told her softly, "And you're not going anywhere until you drink that tea, you need it."

"It will have gone cold by now." Sherry told him, trying to smile although it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Then I'll make you a fresh one," he said, not willing to give up just yet. He didn't want her going out like this after she'd obviously just suffered a huge shock, she at least needed to have something first.

"Don't worry…" she told him, the mask now back on her face, "I'm strong enough to at least make it to my room, then I'll wash my face, go back to the mess and play happy families."

"I'm not going to allow you to," he replied stubbornly, "Wash your face while I make you some more tea, then sit there and have it. After that you can go back to the mess."

She looked like she wanted to argue with him, but just as quickly gave in, going to the bathroom to wash her face. When she came out again she looked better, almost back to normal, and he passed her the cup, putting a plate of biscuits in front of her. She sipped the tea slowly as he watched her, even taking a couple of biscuits at his insistence.

"What did he say to you?" Abhi finally asked, unable to control himself, "What did he say to make you so upset?" Her silence filled the room and he sighed, "I don't know why you can't tell me, but I just wish that I could do something… I can't see you in this much pain, I can't just stand back and watch."

She finished her tea in one last gulp, pushing the cup away, and then briefly touched his hand before she stood up. "You don't know how much that means to me," she said quietly, "But believe me when I say it's better if you don't get too involved… for both of us."

It was the closest she had ever come to admitting exactly how wrong everything was, and she realized she had better leave now before she revealed anything more.

"I'll see you later," Sherry told him, plastering a fake bright smile on her face, and leaving before he could reply, closing the door behind her.

He thought about following her, also going back to the mess, but he just couldn't do it, couldn't watch her pretend to be happy while he broke inside. Couldn't sit there and be polite to Lala Gehlot while he knew that the man was doing something that hurt his daughter so incredibly much.

He couldn't do it because he loved Sherry, even if she wouldn't allow him to.


	41. Chapter 40

Chapter Forty

As evening approached, all of the cadets' families prepared to leave, hugging their children and giving them last instructions to eat well and pay attention to their training. Pooja hugged all of Ali's sisters emotionally, touching his mother's feet as well, while Ali very politely wished Pooja's parents a safe trip home. He hadn't said anything but his Ammi had a slightly knowing look in her eyes, as if she had understood anyway. If Pooja had seen that look too, then she might have realized exactly how much it meant when Ali's mother blessed her warmly.

Huda's mother issued him last instructions to behave himself before handing over a huge container of laddoos, and Yudi impatiently wished his parents goodbye, hoping that they would leave as soon as possible.

"Bye Bro, I'll see you tonight." Neelu told him cheerfully, causing Yudi to stare at her, astonished.

"Tonight? Why will you see me tonight?" he asked her.

"I'm coming to the ball." She told him, with absolutely no embarrassment, "Aalekh invited me."

"But I didn't think we needed dates for the ball!" Yudi protested, staring at Aalekh.

"We don't." Aalekh replied simply. "But it doesn't mean we aren't allowed any."

Neelu winked at him and then hurried to catch up with their parents.

"Look Aalekh, what's going on between you and my sister?" Yudi asked him sternly, "And how long has it been going on?"

"I don't need to answer that," Aalekh told him stonily, "And I can invite whoever I want to a ball." Then he walked away, leaving Yudi staring after him in astonishment.

After the rest of the families had left, Gehlot emerged from the building, flanked by his bodyguards and trailed by Raj, Naina, and a reluctant Sherry who lagged as far behind as possible.

"I wish I could've stayed for the ball tonight, but something has come up." He announced, "Otherwise I would've loved to have a dance with your charming wife."

Raj smiled at this, he was glad that Gehlot had accepted Naina, he had always believed that once he met her he would understand why Raj had made the decision to marry her.

"We'll miss having you there Lala Saheb," Raj told him sincerely, "But I understand how busy you are." Having said that, he and Naina bent down together to touch the man's feet, while Lala placed his hand above their heads in a blessing. Sherry started to feel nauseous again on seeing it, he was such a hypocrite, such a…

"I can't see Abhimanyu anywhere," Lala commented, looking around, "I would've expected him to come and say farewell to me."

"Abhi must be busy," Raj replied, "I haven't seen him since he left the mess earlier, he must not have realized you were leaving." Lala nodded.

"And won't my daughter give me a hug before I leave," Lala asked in a fatherly tone, exactly how any loving parent would, "We might not see each other for such a long time."

She froze where she stood and then walked forward, her steps dragging. When he put his arms around her, she flinched, holding herself as still as possible.

"Don't make a scene," Lala said in her ear as if whispering comforting words, "Or you'll regret it."

Reluctantly she put her arms around his waist to hug him back, "You'll go to hell for everything you've done." She whispered to him so that nobody else could hear. "Just remember that." And then she stepped back and smiled sweetly, "Goodbye father." She told him, even as her expression hardened.

She stepped back to stand with Naina and Raj, and together they watched the car leave. She felt like breathing a sigh of relief, glad that for the moment he was gone, that she didn't have to pretend anymore.

Naina had been watching her carefully, she could tell that something was wrong, that the situation had definitely not improved between Lala and Sherry, but unless Sherry told her what had happened, she couldn't do anything about it. She felt helpless, and all she could do for the moment was to try and raise her sister-in-law's spirits anyway she could.

"So are you excited about the ball tonight?" Raj asked Sherry, placing an arm around her shoulders in a hug, "Your first real army ball, you missed the fresher's ball."

"Actually I was thinking I might skip it…" she said dully, "I'm a bit tired after all the excitement today and I could do with an early night."

"There's no way that you're allowed to skip it," Naina told her in a strict tone, "In fact you and Pooja will be coming to our room to get ready, we'll send your Bhaiyya out to get ready with his friend. I hardly ever get the chance to dress you up, I'm not going to miss out tonight."

"Is there any point in me trying to argue with you?" Sherry asked her in a resigned tone.

"None at all," Raj replied cheerfully, "I know from past experience." He exchanged a grin with Naina, they hardly ever argued, and usually over small things, but she was far more stubborn than he was and always ended up getting her way.

"Then I'll expect you there in fifteen minutes," Naina told her, "Go and fetch Pooja and both your outfits and we'll start immediately, we only have an hour and a half left."

/

Naina had enjoyed getting ready with both of the girls, Pooja chattered so much that it made up for Sherry's quietness, telling Naina everything about what had happened with hers and Ali's families today, how much she had liked his mother and sisters and how she hoped they liked her too.

"So have you told Ali to come and pick you up here?" Naina asked her, "Will you be going together?"

"I'll meet him outside the hall," Pooja replied, smiling at a memory, "I told him to come and meet me here but he was too shy to come and meet me in his teacher's room." She giggled and Naina and Sherry both smiled as well.

"Alright, you're almost ready now except for your makeup Pooja, Sherry if you come here I'll do your hair."

Sherry sat down in front of Naina, and by the far away look on her face, Naina knew that she wasn't really paying attention to anything Naina was doing. Naina curled her hair, making it fall in soft ringlets around her face.

Seeing that Pooja had everything under control with her own makeup, Naina quickly completed her own and then turned back to Sherry who was still sitting quietly, she hadn't even checked what her hair looked like in the mirror. It worried Naina to see her like this, as if she had been defeated, had given up on life. It was going to take something or someone to jolt her out of it… and Naina hoped that maybe tonight would be enough.

Sherry sat still as Naina applied makeup to her face, still lost in her own thoughts and when Naina turned her around to face the mirror, she stared at herself in amazement. This wasn't her… this was some other girl…

"Bhabhi, I…" she started to say, still staring at the mirror, stuck for words.

"Hai Rabba, you look so beautiful!" Pooja commented happily, "Our poor Jat is going to go absolutely flat seeing you!"

Saying this, she glanced at the clock on the wall and seeing the time realized it was time for her to go. "I'd better go and meet my Ranjha now," she told them, "See you both at the ball!" and then hurrying off happily, she shut the door behind her.

"You do look beautiful," Naina told her gently, "Anybody would fall for you, seeing you tonight."

There was a slight look of fear in Sherry's eyes on hearing Naina's words but then she smiled as she truly looked at her for the first time. "You're no less Bhabhi," Sherry told her, "If you hadn't married Bhaiyya then every guy in the place would be fighting over you tonight."

Naina blushed at her words, adjusting her sari self consciously. She didn't care about what every guy thought, just as long as Raj liked it she would be fine.

There was a knock at the door and she smiled, thinking about how he usually did appear at the moment she thought of him.

Opening the door slightly, sure enough she saw him leaning against the doorframe, Abhi slightly behind him in the corridor, both of them wearing their formal uniforms. Naina felt slightly weak at the knees at the sight of Raj, he was so incredibly handsome, and when he wore his uniform he was even more gorgeous. She sighed slightly, and then opened the door wider so that he could see her properly. It was Raj's turn to go dreamy eyed as he looked her up and down, seeing how gorgeous she was in the sari he had bought her. Without saying anything, he picked up her hand and brought it to his lips, kissing it lightly. Every time he saw her he fell in love with her all over again.

"Would a lady as gorgeous as you consent to go to the ball with me tonight?" he asked flirtatiously, still not letting go of her hand.

Naina giggled slightly, as Abhi did his best not to look at them in an effort to give them some privacy for their flirting.

"Have I told you how handsome you are in uniform?" Naina asked him, "Any girl would die for you."

"I don't care about any girl, and don't mention dying again." He told her seriously, "But if you really like me in uniform this much then I'll give up wearing casual clothes." He winked at her, and she hit his shoulder playfully with her free hand, still giggling before she once again remembered that Abhimanyu was in the corridor and Sherry was inside probably also listening to them. Naina coughed to remind him of this and Raj looked slightly embarrassed as he realized it too.

"Uh, can we come inside?" he asked her, "Are you all ready?"

"Pooja has already left and Sherry and I are both ready," Naina informed him, "You can both come in."

Naina watched as Abhi's head raised at the mention of Sherry, a strange look coming into his eyes. He followed Raj into his room, both of them stopping when they saw the girl standing in front of them. Raj's eyes filled with pride and a brotherly love, while hundreds of emotions seemed to pass over Abhi's face at once as Naina watched him. She looked away hurriedly, not wanting him to know she had been observing him. But one thing was for sure, she had been right about her suspicion.

Abhi struggled to get his feelings under control as he gazed at Sherry, he had always known she was beautiful, but tonight…. If he hadn't already been in love with her then he would've fallen right now for sure. She was avoiding his gaze, but he knew that the moment she looked up… it would be a struggle not to tell her everything, not to reveal himself in front of his best friend.

Raj crossed the room and hugged his sister proudly, "I never realized my little sister was so grown up." He told her, "I'm going to have to be careful with you looking like this tonight, I'm sure a lot of boys are going to be after you." He joked.

Despite her dull mood, Sherry smiled at Raj's joke. "Don't worry Bhaiyya, I know how to keep them away." She told him, "I've been managing all this time."

"Still… Seeing you tonight I've realized I'll have to find a groom for you soon." He told her, now half joking and half serious, "I want only the best for my little sister."

"Don't worry," Naina cut in, "I'll take over the responsibilities for finding a groom, our Sherry deserves nothing less than a prince." She deliberately didn't look in Abhi's direction as she said it, wondering if he would guess about the double meaning of her words. If she had looked then she would've seen him flush slightly as she said it.

"Of course." Raj agreed with her proudly, turning around to grin at Naina, "Well from now on the responsibility is in your hands. Once we've made a proper soldier out of her, we'll get her married too."

"Well if that's decided, shall we make our way to the ball then?" Naina asked, deciding that she'd given enough hints for tonight already. Leaving his sister's side, Raj extended his arm to her, and Naina slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow, walking out with him.

Abhi continued to stare at Sherry, and she finally looked up, meeting his eyes briefly. The depths of emotion she saw in them almost took her breath away and she hurriedly looked away again, too afraid to maintain eye contact in case he might guess what she was thinking.

"Well, shall we go?" she asked him, and he hesitated, wondering whether he should offer her his arm too, but she had already walked ahead and as they followed Raj and Naina he decided that for now it would be best to only walk alongside her, ready for when she needed him.

And when the time came that she was ready to take his hand… he would be right there and waiting.


	42. Chapter 41

Chapter Forty One

The moment they entered the hall, Sherry left them, going to find her friends. She could feel Abhi's eyes on her as she went and decided that staying away from him tonight was definitely a good idea. If he had been blown away by her appearance then she had been equally as impressed by his. Wearing his formal uniform with his hair tied back neatly he had made an entirely new impression.

She had wanted to tell him that the look suited him, but had decided that was definitely not a good idea. She joined her friends where, as predicted by Pooja, Huda went absolutely flat as soon as he saw her. While Ali and Yudi complimented her politely, Aalekh gave her a small nod as if to tell her he approved. Huda just gaped.

Ignoring him, Sherry turned to Neelu instead "Hey Neelu, it's good you could join us." Sherry told her, "We don't get to see you often enough."

"Yeah, at least it's something fun for a change." Neelu replied, "Otherwise I was just getting bored sitting at home."

"But I still don't see why…" Yudi started to say before Pooja cut him off.

"Oh look, there's Dr. Shalini and Dr. Ritu!" She pointed out, "Don't they look gorgeous in their new covers tonight?"

Aalekh breathed a sigh of relief as Yudi became distracted. With everything he had to accomplish tonight, the last thing he needed was for Yudi to get too curious.

/

Raj, Naina and Abhi had just finished chatting to one of the superior officers attending the ball when Shalini and Ritu approached them.

"Don't you look gorgeous, Naina!" Shalini gushed, hugging her warmly, "Captain Rajveer, anyone can tell that you keep your wife happy, she's positively glowing."

"Yes, she is." Ritu agreed in the fake sweet tone that Naina hated so much, "And won't the gentlemen here give us some compliments too?" She glanced flirtatiously at Abhimanyu as she said it, causing Naina to frown. It was obvious to everyone that Ritu had her eye on him but Naina suspected that the feeling was definitely not mutual.

"Of course, you both look lovely," Raj told them smilingly, and Abhi nodded, looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Would you like to dance with me, Dr. Shalini?" he asked suddenly as he saw Ritu move forward as if to stand next to him.

Shalini was surprised by his request but nodded, placing her hand in the one that was held out. She waited to ask her question until they were on the dance floor, away from the others.

"Why is it that I feel you're avoiding Ritu?" she asked him with one eyebrow raised and he looked at her in shock, "Any special reason?"

"Avoid her? Why would I avoid her?" Abhi asked, "I just felt like asking you for a dance."

"Please, Captain, I'm not that dumb," Shalini told him, "It's not just tonight… these days whenever she comes in a room you make an excuse to leave, almost as if you're afraid she'll ask you out again. If you're not interested in her then just tell her."

"And you think she'll just accept that?" Abhi asked a bit disbelievingly, "So far she's been quite, uh, persistent."

"Tell her that you like somebody else." Shalini advised, taking pity on him. "She won't be able to argue with that."

Abhi nodded and was quiet, obviously thinking about her advice. Shalini decided that it would be best to change the topic.

"Aren't our cadets looking wonderful tonight?" she asked him, "They seem so much more mature now than when they had all first arrived, it's easy to see the effect the training has had on them."

Abhi nodded, his gaze shifting to where the cadets were standing. Pooja appeared to be trying to convince Ali to dance with her, while the rest were encouraging them. As he watched, Huda appeared to say something, and then held out his hand to Sherry as if asking her to dance. She shook her head as if to refuse him, and then seemingly at Pooja's request sighed and accepted. The moment that Huda and Sherry went onto the dance floor, Ali and Pooja followed them and Abhi suddenly understood, Ali must have been feeling uncomfortable to be the only cadet pair to dance.

Shalini turned her head to watch them and let out a short laugh, "Poor Cadet Huda," she remarked, "He just keeps on trying. At least he's had some luck for once tonight."

"As long as he doesn't upset her," Abhi replied without thinking, a slight frown on his face, "She's had a hard enough day as it is and she doesn't need any more trouble."

"You're very protective of her, aren't you?" Shalini commented thoughtfully as something suddenly clicked into place. "You worry about her a lot."

"Of course… she's… well, she's Raj's sister. We're all very protective of her." Abhi explained, suddenly seeming a bit nervous.

Shalini wondered who exactly he thought he was fooling because it certainly wasn't her.

/

"See, dancing with me isn't that bad, is it?" Huda asked her and Sherry just rolled her eyes. 

"You know I'm only dancing with you for Ali and Pooja's sake don't you?" she asked him, "Don't think that it has any other meaning."

She glanced over his shoulder to where Abhi was dancing with Shalini, apparently deep in conversation.

"What's so bad about me?" Huda asked her, sounding terribly serious for once and she sighed, realizing that it was going to be a long night.

"There's nothing bad about you," she told him, "I just don't like you in that way. You're not really my type. Admit it Huda, if I'd been interested in you then you would've forgotten about me in a week, you just like the challenge."

He was silent, as if thinking about her words and then, he said something to her in a serious tone of voice, something that made her look him in the eye. "If you tell me that you like somebody else then I'll leave you alone." Huda told her, "Just tell me honestly… I'm Huda, I don't need to run after girls…. There's enough running after me."

Sherry knew that it was a way for him to save face, to back out without seeming like he had lost. She wondered what had happened to make him change or whether he had finally just gotten sick of her rejecting him again and again.

"There's nothing going on between us..." she started to say, "I already told you…."

"That wasn't what I asked." Huda told her, "Just tell me once and for all."

"And you won't…"

"No I won't make a scene," he promised, "I still remember that punch." And he grinned. Despite herself, she laughed.

"I'm glad to see that punch knocked some sense into you." Sherry told him and he smiled at her in his typical way.

"So… yes or no."

"Yes… I do." Sherry replied to him, "But nothing like what you thought is going on."

"Fine…" Huda told her, glancing over his shoulder at Abhimanyu, "But I still don't know why you prefer that jhabreela to me, my hair is much better, it's definitely your loss."

"You know I think maybe we can finally be friends now." Sherry told him, "So how about it?"

"Friends then." Huda agreed, "But don't expect me to stop flirting with you."

"That would definitely be too much to hope…" Sherry told him, and they had both laughed.

Seeing Sherry so happy for once with Huda, Abhi frowned, confused. Most of the time she looked like she would prefer to be as far away from him as possible and tonight…

Seeing him frown once again, Shalini sighed. Men were hopeless.

"Well, shall we go back?" she asked him as the music ended, and he nodded, seemingly still distracted.

The moment they rejoined the others, Ritu sensed her opportunity. "Well Captain, how about a dance?" she asked him, "Or will I need to ask Major Nair?"

Shalini nodded slightly at him and Abhi realized that perhaps now really was the perfect time to tell Ritu that he wasn't interested. "Of course Dr. Misra," he told her, and they walked to the dance floor.

"Shall we join them?" Raj asked Naina, gazing down at her lovingly, "That's if you don't mind us leaving you for awhile, Shalini?"

"Of course not," she told them happily, "Go and enjoy yourselves, I'll go and compliment the cadets on how wonderful they all look tonight."

She headed for the cadets on the other side of the room while Raj led Naina to the dance floor.

/

"If only you'd been here for the Fresher's Ball as well," Ritu told Abhi flirtatiously as they reached the dance floor, "I wouldn't have been forced to attend with Major Nair."

Abhi glanced to where Major Nair stood conversing with some of the senior officials who were attending, as uncomfortable as Ritu made him, he did pity her for having to attend with a man like that.

"That must have been an interesting evening." He commented, trying to work out exactly how to steer the conversation to the topic he needed to bring up.

"Speaking of interesting evenings… I really enjoyed going to the film with you," Ritu told him with just the right amount of shyness in her gaze, "Perhaps we should go again some time."

"Actually Dr. Misra…"

"Ritu," she interrupted smoothly, "Remember."

"Ritu, I had a good time that night too, but I don't think us going to a movie again would be a good idea."

"Any why not?" she asked, too surprised to react properly.

"I do enjoy spending time with you…" Abhi told her politely, trying to soften the blow, "But the fact is that there's somebody else who I…" he struggled with his words, "Who I'm in love with."

"And am I allowed to ask who?" Ritu asked him, her lips pursed as she tried to disguise her anger.

"It's not important who… I just didn't want you to believe I was leading you on by going to a movie with you when I have feelings for somebody else." Abhi replied, as he resisted glancing over to where Sherry now stood with Dr. Shalini and Yudi, laughing with them.

"I understand." Ritu told him, and indeed she did. She knew exactly who it was, and she would've crushed that cadet if it hadn't been for…

She wondered how her boss would react to knowing that his only daughter had ruined the best of his plans?

Despite herself, Ritu smiled, because she still had other plans, she always had other plans.

And perhaps… these plans were what she should've done all along.

/

Checking to see that Major Nair was still busy buttering up his senior officers, Aalekh nudged Neelu, "Chal…" he whispered to her. "It's time."

Nodding, she entwined her hand with his and leaned in to whisper something in his ear before leading him outside, exactly as if they were simply going out for privacy.

Huda shrugged, some guys had all the luck.

From where Yudi was chatting with Dr. Shalini and Sherry, he suddenly spotted Aalekh and Neelu heading for the exit, holding hands, and he had had enough.

"Where exactly do they think they're going?" he asked, a bit angrily, "It's not enough that they date each other behind my back, now Aalekh thinks he can sneak off with my sister in the middle of an army ball?"

"Yudi, just relax, let them be." Sherry told him with a shrug, "Aalekh is a good guy, you should be glad your sister has picked him."

"I still don't like the fact that it's been going on behind my back!" Yudi protested.

"Cadet Yudi, just calm down, take a deep breath!" Shalini told him, "Don't do anything while angry, you'll say things you'll regret later."

"Right ma'am…" Yudi told her, he always respected what Shalini ma'am told him, she was one of his favourite teachers and had always had time for him. "But tonight once and for all I want the truth from them." And saying this, he abruptly left from the hall as Shalini and Sherry watched him go despairingly.

"I hope nobody ends up with a black eye." Shalini commented, "Because I'll be the one who has to fix it up."

"I don't think it will come to that," Sherry reassured her, "Aalekh is quite sensible and Yudi is not really the violent type… just relax and enjoy the ball."

"Good advice," Shalini agreed, "Now we just need to find some more dancing partners." She joked.

"Cadet Huda at your service ma'am," Huda told her charmingly, "Would you do me the honour?"

"Why not, Cadet?" Shalini asked him laughingly, "Let's test out your dancing skills."

/

Raj could hear Naina humming along to the music as she swayed in his arms and he smiled. "Have I told you how lovely you look tonight?" he asked her, "Every time I see you, you look more beautiful."

"And have I told you that you're possibly the world's most romantic husband?" Naina asked him, "If there was a competition then I would enter you in it."

"I don't need to win any prizes, having you as my wife is prize enough." Raj told her with a grin, and Naina burst into sweet laughter.

"That was rather filmy…" she told him, "A bit too much."

"It was, wasn't it." He agreed, "I'll have to work on my dialogues in future."

"Just a little bit," she agreed, "But I like them even when they are filmy."

"That's good to hear," Raj told her, miming his relief, "Maybe I should think of some really filmy ones instead, that might be even better."

Naina half groaned and half laughed as he spun her around. Knowing that they were in full view of everyone, she resisted the urge to rest her head on his shoulder, knowing that his superior officers probably wouldn't be very impressed. As if sensing her thoughts, Raj pulled her slightly closer, letting go of her hand briefly to tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"I love you so much." He told her, his smile warming her insides, causing butterflies to rise in her stomach.

"I love you too." She told him quietly, "You know how much I love you."

"I do indeed," Raj told her, "But I still like to hear it."

"Then I'll tell you again and again for the rest of our lives." Naina promised.

"I can't wait." He replied, and pressed a kiss to her forehead as the music ended.

/

"I can't believe this!" Yudi exclaimed when he caught up with both of them, "You two are sneaking off in the middle of the ball without caring about what anybody would think? Do you have no shame? I want to know what right now what's going on!"

"Chup kar, Nautanki." Aalekh told him, "Whatever you think we've sneaked out to do… it's nothing like that. Now be quiet before you ruin everything."

"Ruin everything?" Yudi asked him confused, "But what are you doing?"

"Stealing photos from Major Nair's room." Aalekh told him, and Yudi just gaped.

"Are you mad?" he asked Aalekh, "Are you like, seriously crazy? And why is Neelu with you?"

"So that people would assume exactly what you assumed when we slipped out of the room." Neelu told him, shrugging.

"Now either quietly go back to the hall or help Neelu to keep a look out." Aalekh told him. "Are you with us or not? It's for Naina."

Yudi hesitated, but eventually his curiosity and affection for Rajveer Sir's wife won over his fear.

"Fine," he told Aalekh, "But do it as quickly as possible, I don't want to get caught anywhere near Nair's room."

Nodding, Aalekh began to pick the lock.

/

With Yudi, Aalekh and Neelu currently missing, Ali and Pooja currently dancing together and Huda busy flirting with one of the second year cadets, Sherry decided that her best option was probably to return with Shalini to where her Bhaiyya and Bhabhi were now standing with Abhi. Thankfully Ritu seemed to be busy dancing with a visiting Brigadier because Sherry had no desire to be near the woman at all.

"So how do you like your first army ball?" Raj asked her when she had joined them, "Are you ready to attend even more?"

Sherry smiled at him, he and Naina looked so happy tonight and she didn't want to ruin it by being in a bad mood.

"It's been fun Bhaiyya," she told him, "But I wouldn't want to do it every week."

"None of us would." Raj replied, "But generally there's only three or four a year that you have to attend."

"You haven't danced much tonight yet," Naina told her, "Only twice so far."

"Well most of the guys are too scared to approach me to ask for a dance." Sherry reasoned, "I was going to dance with Yudi next, but he's ah, temporarily gone out."

"Well Abhimanyu can dance with you." Naina offered helpfully leading them both to stare at her. Sherry had a look on her face as if she was having trouble believing what Naina had just done.

"Of course," Abhi offered, after checking Raj's reaction to see that he wasn't upset. "I would be honoured to."

Sherry realised that she couldn't refuse, not when Naina had suggested it and when Raj seemed to think it was a good idea. There was no good reason for her to refuse even though she wasn't sure it was safe for her to be dancing closely with him, the way that she felt right now.

"Are you sure it's a good idea for me to dance with one of my teachers?" she asked Raj hesitantly, "Isn't it a bit…"

"Didn't Cadet Huda just dance with Dr. Shalini right now?" he asked her, "Go ahead and enjoy yourself."

Abhi held out his hand and hesitantly, slowly, Sherry placed hers in his. His fingers curled around hers as he led her to the floor while she tried to look anywhere but at his face. Turning her around to face him, he placed one hand on her waist, as she placed hers on his shoulder, very conscious of the strength she could feel in him.

She tried to avoid his gaze as they began to move, before finally deciding that she was being stupid. The best thing to do was to act naturally, to pretend that his presence did not affect her.

"You look nice in your formal uniform," she told him, "I've never seen you wear it before."

"Well I only wear it at formal functions…" he replied her without thinking, and then sighed. Why is it that whenever he was around her lately he could never find the right things to say? "That's quite obvious, isn't it?" he asked, grinning to cover up his embarrassment.

"Well… yes." Sherry told him, grinning as she momentarily forgot her own nervousness, "I had figured that out before now."

"I haven't told you yet…" he started, finally working up the courage, "How beautiful you look tonight."

Sherry looked away, her breathing quickening slightly before she controlled herself and looked back at him. "That's all because of Bhabhi," she informed him, praying that he wouldn't continue the topic, "She has some type of magic in her."

"She does indeed… but you've always been beautiful." Abhimanyu told her, wondering how it was that the words just seemed to slip off his tongue. "It's just that before now you always tried to cover it up."

"I never…" Sherry started to protest, and then grinned, realising that there was no point in denying it. "Fine, I admit it, I tried to make myself as unattractive as possible."

"Too many admirers?" Abhi asked her.

"Too many of the wrong kind." She replied, "Politicians's sons and business heirs, I didn't want them to see me as a good possible future wife."

"I was worried when Huda asked you to dance earlier," Abhi admitted, "That he might make you upset in some way, but you…" He wouldn't say that he had been jealous to see her laughing with the young man, he hadn't been, he definitely hadn't been.

"Huda has decided that he isn't going to pursue me any more." Sherry announced cheerfully, "A very sensible decision from him for once."

"And what brought on this decision?" Abhi asked, completely surprised by it.

"Maybe my excellent right hook." Sherry suggested, "It must have finally knocked some sense in him."

They laughed at this, and she wondered how it could be that she could feel so incredibly normal right now, just like any young girl dancing with a boy she liked. A few hours earlier she had been crying, broken, and now...

She glanced up at Abhi, who quickly looked away, obviously having been staring at her.

She couldn't allow this to go on… and yet it was so hard to end it when there was nothing to actually stop. There was no relationship between them, only a feeling which she had begun to suspect he shared. She should never have grown this attached to him and yet now talking to him and confiding in him had become a habit, one that she couldn't shake. She wasn't sure if she had the strength to keep away from him, to keep him distant.

The dance continued, both of them silent until Sherry broke it. "My father wanted to know where you were while he was leaving, he noticed you weren't there."

"I couldn't do it…" Abhi told her, and she was stunned by the anger burning in his eyes, "I didn't want to see him because if I had then I would've said something that I would've regretted."

"You're not very good at keeping your feelings secret are you?" Sherry mused, "You're way too honest for your own good."

"And you're far too good at keeping yours hidden." He told her in a very soft tone, "If Raj knew how hurt you were, how upset you were…"

"Then it would be a huge problem," Sherry cut him off, "It's better for everyone if Bhaiyya never finds out. If he does he'll want to know the reason and…"

And she knew what would happen then.

"And what is the reason?" Abhi asked her, his grip on her waist suddenly tightening as he pulled her closer slightly. "What is it that's so terrible that you can't tell me? I keep thinking, and wondering, I can't sleep at night from worrying about it… I can't see you…"

"Then don't see me." Sherry answered him quietly, "I'll cope, I always have. Stay away from this, I don't want you involved."

"Why not?" he asked her, "Why can't I be involved?"

"Because if anything happened to you then…" she began to say, far too emotionally. She stopped herself, calmed herself down.

"Then?" Abhi asked, barely breathing as he waited for her to continue.

The music ended then, and before he had realised it, she had stepped backwards, slipping out of his grasp.

He struggled to shake the feeling that she really was slipping away from him.

"Yudi has just arrived back." Sherry announced suddenly, "I'll go and join him."

Abhi walked back over to Raj and Naina, and for the rest of the evening tried to involve himself in chatting to the other officers present, trying not to look at her.

"Is everything alright?" Raj asked him later, seeing his preoccupation.

"Yes," Abhi lied to him, "Everything is just fine."

But nothing was fine at all, and he knew he couldn't hide that fact from Raj forever.

/

The evening was due to end early because of the cadets' lights out time but Raj noticed that Naina was looking worn out, more tired than she usually did.

"You look tired," he murmured in her ear, placing an arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. "We can leave now if you wish."

"No that's alright," Naina had told him in a voice that really did sound tired, "You should spend some time talking with the officers, I'll be fine."

"I've already talked to them enough," Raj assured her, "Let's get you to bed now, I don't want you overtiring yourself and getting sick."

He said it with such love and affection that she was forced to agree, nodding. Raj told their friends that they were leaving and then putting his arm around her waist for support, began to lead her back to their room.

"Are you sure you're not happy to leave early just because you want some time to romance with me?" Naina asked him jokingly.

"Naina, I'm always ready to romance with you, whether in our room or in a ball." Raj replied in a similarly light tone, "But as you're so tired, I think the romance will have to remain for another day."

She was about to reply when she heard somebody calling out from behind and turned around to see who it was. Aalekh was hurrying after them, and had called out to stop them.

"What is it, Aalekh?" she asked him, "Is something wrong?"

"I didn't want to tell you before…" he began, "In case it didn't work out."

"In case what didn't work out?" Raj asked him, hoping that the young cadet hadn't gotten himself into any trouble.

"When Punjaben was assigned to make a collage for Republic Day she saw some photos in Nair's room… photos of your brother." Aalekh informed them, "We wanted to get those photos for you."

"And?" Naina asked breathlessly, suddenly feeling light headed with excitement, photos of her brother… photos she would never have seen before.

"And… don't mind, Sir." He told Raj, "Tonight I got them for you."

Raj nodded to Aalekh, showing that he didn't mind, that he wasn't angry at all. He loved the young man at that moment, for having taken such a risk to do something this important for Naina.

Aalekh handed over an envelope, and Naina opened it with trembling hands.

"There's something in there…" he warned her, "That I hadn't expected."

She looked at him questioningly, and then began to flip through the photos.

"This must have been the alumni night," Raj commented as he looked at them with her, "I wasn't able to come because of my posting. It was the night that Navin was arrested…"

Naina has almost reached the end of the pile when she stopped at one, shocked by what she saw. There, smiling up at the camera as if he was the happiest man in the world, was Navin, with his arm around nobody else but Dr. Ritu Misra.

Naina opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out, she turned to look at Raj, to tell him, but the world turned black and before she could say anything she fainted. He caught her before she hit the floor, picking her up in his arms.

"Go and find Dr. Shalini," Raj told Aalekh, "Tell her that Naina has fainted and I've taken her to our room."

As Raj carried Naina to their quarters, glancing down at her worriedly the whole time, he couldn't help but think that maybe this was the turning point.

Maybe they'd finally found their missing link.


	43. Chapter 42

Chapter Forty Two

Raj placed Naina on the bed gently, smoothing her hair back before he bent down to remove her shoes. Going to the kitchen he filled a glass with water before sprinkling a little on her face, stopping the moment that her eyes opened.

Naina opened her eyes slowly as the water droplets hit her face and Raj put down the glass and reached out to take her hand.

She looked around, a bit confused, and then passed the other hand over her eye.

"We were just…" she said, trying to work out how she'd gotten to the bedroom.

"You fainted." Raj told her gently, "You've been tired lately, and I think that the shock was just too great. I've sent Aalekh to get Dr. Shalini so that she can check you."

"I don't need to be checked," Naina said, sitting up now with his help. "It was just… seeing those photos… all this time…"

She wasn't even sure what she should be feeling at that moment; shock, or grief, or anger. The fact was that all this time Dr. Mishra had known that she was Navin's sister and concealed the truth about herself. Naina felt a sudden hatred rise up in her towards the woman. Was this the reason why she had always felt uncomfortable around her, never trusted her? Even if Dr. Mishra wasn't directly connected with her brother's death, it was clear that she had abandoned him when he needed her the most.

But the very fact that she had been with him the night that he was arrested…

Raj watched the emotions pass over Naina's face, understanding what it was that she was going through. Even he was torn as to what their next step should be. The part of him that was Navin's best friend wanted to confront Dr. Mishra, tell her that they knew everything and force her to explain herself. However the part of him that was an army officer was piecing together the puzzle in his head, working out that it may be best to keep quiet and simply watch for now. Because if Ritu Mishra had been in the academy at the time when Navin was arrested, and now was here again at a time when they suspected there was a spy…

There was a knock at the door and Shalini hurried in with her doctor's bag, still dressed in her clothes from the ball. It was obvious that Aalekh had gone to fetch her directly from there. He came in after her, looking quite worried, and stood near the entrance of the room wanting to make sure that Naina really was okay.

"Don't worry, Aalekh," Naina told him, sitting up even straighter now, "I'm perfectly okay, you should go back and enjoy the rest of the ball with your friends."

"I'll be the judge of exactly how okay you are." Shalini told her sternly as she came into the room, "And no moving from where you are until I tell you that you're allowed to."

Naina smiled at her a little guiltily, as she had been about to get off the bed. She forced herself to sit patiently while her friend checked her pulse, her blood pressure and then looked at her thoughtfully.

"It could just be stress… your BP is a bit higher than normal." Shalini told her, "But I'd like to do a blood test anyway just in case."

"Of course," Naina agreed, and held out her arm while Shalini took the blood.

"Now I suggest that you get some rest, Naina, and take it easy tomorrow." Shalini told her.

"It's a Sunday tomorrow, so I don't need to attend college. I promise I'll take it easy."

"Just be careful not to exert yourself too much and definitely have all of your meals on time until we find out what's going on." Shalini continued, "I should have the blood test back by tomorrow afternoon and then we'll know whether there's anything wrong."

"Thanks Dr. Shalini," Raj told her, "Sorry to make you leave the party but…"

"That's perfectly okay, I can understand that you were worried." Shalini told him warmly, "Just make sure that she goes to sleep now, and look after her well tomorrow." She gathered her things, smiling at them both as she left.

"Aalekh…" Naina called out to him as he turned to go, "Thank you for everything, you don't know how much you've done for me, I'll never forget this."

Aalekh crossed the room and came to sit on the bed beside her. "I didn't do anything special," he told her, "Just fulfilled my duty, and Neelu and Yudi helped too."

"Please thank both of them for me too," Naina said gratefully, "I know I'll see Yudi tomorrow but I'm not sure when I met get to see Neelu again."

Aalekh nodded, smiled at her and patted her hand gently. "You just rest, Naina. Feel better soon." And then he left the room, closing the door behind him.

Raj helped Naina to remove her jewellery before she changed from her sari into her night clothes.

They climbed into bed after turning the light off and she rested her head on his chest, listening to his heart beat.

"What do we do now?" she whispered to him, "Do we let her know that we know or…?"

"We'll talk to Abhimanyu about it in the morning." Raj replied, "Whatever decision we make we have to tread carefully. It might be better to watch and wait, to see…"

He didn't finish the sentence but they both knew it.

To see why Dr. Ritu Mishra was really here in the academy.

/

The next day, Raj and Naina had both woken early, their minds too busy to allow them to sleep, running through the different possibilities and actions that could be taken. Since it was their day off, they both dressed in casual clothes before leaving the room, locking it behind them and heading for Abhi's quarters.

Raj knocked on his door, relieved when his friend answered it quickly, already dressed and looking as if he had recently come out of the shower.

"Good morning," he greeted them both, "I heard from Shalini that you were a little unwell last night Naina, I hope you're feeling better now."

"I'm fine," she reassured him, "I think I was just a little overtired and…" she looked at Raj, indicating that he should continue from where she left off.

"Actually Abhi there's something important that we both need to talk to you about." Raj said.

"Sure," Abhi told him, opening the door wider and letting them in before shutting it. "Sit down."

He was worried at this, the fact that they'd come to see him about something together. It couldn't be…

"Last night Aalekh managed to get some photos from Major Nair's room for us," Raj told him, "I think you need to see them too."

Raj passed the envelope containing the photos, and as he looked through them his eyes widened.

"Dr. Mishra was Navin's girlfriend…" he whispered, his tone a mixture of shock and anger.

Because this woman…

He thought of all the moments since he had arrived that she'd tried to get close to him, to convince him that she was in love with him and to make him fall in love with her. Unbidden, Sherry's warning from long ago surfaced in his mind… that Dr. Mishra had her eye on him for some reason… that she couldn't be trusted…

"She betrayed Navin," Abhi said emotionally, "And then somehow she had the guts to come back here again and… and…"

And do what, was the real question.

Raj and Abhi's eyes met, both of them thinking exactly the same thing. Could she be the spy that they had been searching for all this time? Could that be her reason for being at the academy and for having concealed the truth about herself all this time?

"She kept trying to get close to me," Abhi told them in a disbelieving voice, "It always made me uncomfortable but I never thought it might be because…"

"She tried to get close to me as well," Raj admitted with an uncomfortable glance at Naina, "Before Naina arrived."

"She didn't exactly give up after I arrived either." Naina added, "She kept trying until I warned her to stop."

"You warned her to stop?" Raj asked, feeling a mixture of both surprise and pride.

"It was on the night of the fresher's ball." Naina informed him, "I'd had enough of it and couldn't take it anymore."

"And then I arrived… and she had a new target." Abhi mused. "But should we really be assuming all of this without knowing what the truth is?"

"I think that until we know otherwise, we have to assume the worst." Raj told him, "We'll keep a close watch on her without letting her know that we know the truth."

"And Aalekh?" Abhi asked, "Do we need to tell him…"

"Aalekh won't say anything," Naina assured them, "Unless he knows it's alright to, but Yudi and Neelu were with him, I'm not sure if they know as well or not."

"I'll go and check with him now," Abhi told her, "I know that you're supposed to be resting, don't stress too much over all this, Raj and I will handle it."

"There's honestly nothing wrong with me," Naina told him, a bit fed up with constantly being told to rest. "I was just a bit tired, I'm fine now."

"Still… let Abhi talk to Aalekh about it." Raj told her, "Whether you're fine or not we'll know in the afternoon, and before then you have doctor's orders to rest."

"But…" Naina began to say stubbornly.

"But nothing," Raj told her, "It's just a matter of one day and it's not going to cause you any harm to just rest."

They were interrupted by Abhi laughing, a grin on his face.

"Well if you two want to, you can stay here and continue to debate this while I go and talk to Aalekh, or you can go back to your own room to argue." He informed them, and Raj and Naina both sheepishly grinned at him.

"We'll go back to our own room to argue." Raj told him, obviously joking, and the two of them left for their quarters, Naina still quibbling slightly about the fact that everybody kept telling her to rest.

The smile on Abhi's face quickly disappeared as he thought about the truth that they had just discovered. Dr. Mishra was dangerous, possibly more dangerous than any of them could imagine. Their next moves were definitely going to have to be planned carefully.

Searching for Aalekh, he checked the mess and the library as well as his quarters before finally heading outside where he found the cadets playing basketball, Huda, Pooja and Ali on one team and Sherry, Aalekh and Yudi on another.

They all looked so carefree, passing the ball to one another, laughing and teasing as they played. They had no idea of the amount of danger facing them, of the threat that lurked so close by to him…

He couldn't resist allowing himself a moment to watch Sherry, her hair pulled back from her face in a ponytail, an air of cheerfulness about her as she called out to Yudi to pass her the ball. It was so seldom these days that he saw her this happy or carefree. She looked so different to how she had the night before. Yet strangely he liked her better this way, natural and simple.

Telling himself to get a grip, he approached the cadets, who paused their game as they saw him coming over.

"Would you like to join us, Sir?" Ali asked him politely.

"The teams would be uneven then." Abhi told him, "You guys enjoy yourselves, I just need to borrow Aalekh for a minute."

"Thank god… some time to recharge." Pooja said, relieved, and going to the side she flopped down on the grass.

Nodding, Aalekh followed Abhimanyu a short distance away while Sherry watched them curiously.

"I just wanted to check whether Yudi or his sister knew what was in the photos?" Abhi asked Aalekh, keeping his voice low so that nobody else would hear.

"No… they kept watch outside the room while I found them." Aalekh said, "I'm the only one that knows."

"Good, I know that you can be trusted not to tell anyone else." Abhi told him, clapping Aalekh on the shoulder in a proud way. "It's better if not too many people know at the moment… and if you see anything out of the ordinary, be sure to tell either myself or Captain Rajveer."

"I understand, Sir." Aalekh assured him, "I know how to keep a secret." He also knew that he was being trusted to help keep an eye on Dr. Ritu.

"Enjoy your day off then." Abhi told him, letting Aalekh know that he was dismissed and could rejoin his friends.

As Aalekh wandered back over, sitting on the ground with the rest of them, Sherry turned to him.

"What was that about?" she asked.

"Go and ask Sir yourself." Aalekh told her, "I'm sure he'll tell you."

Shrugging, Sherry got up, dusting the grass off her pants and followed him.

"Sir!" she called out as she approached Abhi, and turning around he smiled at her. These days it seemed as if she was always avoiding him and he was running after her, the change was a pleasant surprise.

"Yes Sherry?" he asked, "What is it?"

"I was wondering what you were talking to Aalekh about." She said without any pretence. "It's alright if you don't want to tell me."

Abhi thought about it for a moment, it was best that not too many people knew and yet… Sherry had never trusted Dr. Mishra, had always known that there was something wrong with her. It might be best if she knew the truth so that there was at least one more trustworthy person to keep an eye on Ritu.

Quickly he told her everything that had happened the night before, watching as the anger grew on her face.

"That bitch…" Sherry swore, "Trapping Naina's brother wasn't enough… she had to come back here again and try something else. If she could've then she would've ruined your life as well."

"Don't do or say anything that will reveal that we know." Abhi told her, "We just need to keep a watch on her for now."

"Don't worry… you can trust me." Sherry replied, still seething with anger.

"And so you can tell me now that you told me so." Abhi joked, "You've been warning me about her from the beginning."

"And aren't you glad that you listened to me?" Sherry asked him, "Imagine if you'd fallen in love with her."

"No… there was no chance of that happening." Abhi replied, a frown on his face.

Because he suspected that no matter what, he still would've…

"Uh, I'll go back to my friends now… Sir." Sherry told him, stressing on the last word. "I don't want them to suspect anything."

"Good idea." He told her, "Go and have fun."

She nodded, a serious look on her face, and sprinted back to join the others.

He watched as they begin to play again, Huda easily dodging around Yudi until Yudi and Aalekh teamed up to grab him in order to get the ball.

May they always remain this happy, may they never know the pain of losing a friend as he had with losing Navin…

Turning his back on them, he walked towards the main building.

"We won't fail you, my friend." He muttered under his breath.

Navin would get justice, no matter how long it took.

/

Raj and Naina had been bickering good naturedly all day about her health, attempting to distract themselves from the problem at hand.

Raj had already notified Colonel Shakti of their suspicions, who had agreed with Raj and Abhi that the best thing to do would be to wait and watch due to a lack of evidence. Abhi had informed them that Aalekh and Sherry both knew about Dr. Mishra and would be keeping an eye on her before he himself left to do some covert surveillance.

Now the time had come for Naina's blood results to be ready and they had both been called to Shalini's office. While Naina kept insisting that there was nothing wrong with her, Raj couldn't help but be nervous. Usually she was in the best of health, but lately she had been getting these dizzy spells. What if something was wrong? What if it was serious?

He couldn't lose her, if he did…

He imagined life without Naina and the thought was so terrible that he banished it from his mind. Before her, his life had been in darkness, and if she was to be taken from him…

No, it wasn't serious, he reassured himself, probably just a result of over tiredness and too much stress.

They knocked on the door of Shalini's room before walking inside, taking a seat in the two chairs in front of her desk.

"Right on time," she told them, "The results have already arrived and I've checked them."

"It's not anything serious is it?" Raj asked her worried, "I mean… Naina is fine isn't she?"

"Well Captain… I'm afraid to say that it actually is quite serious." Shalini told him, "These next few months will be critical for Naina."

Turning pale, Raj grabbed Naina's hand, squeezing it tightly. This couldn't be happening, it couldn't be…

"What is it, Shalini?" he asked her, "Whatever it is, just let me know what needs to be done, just as long as Naina is alright."

"I'm afraid that you've already done whatever you could do, Captain." She informed him seriously, "Everything depends on Naina now."

"But what is it, Shalini?" Naina asked her, "Is it very serious?" Raj's grip on her hand was tight, she could tell that he was afraid. Hearing Shalini's words, she had begun to get nervous too.

Seeing the nervousness on both of their faces, Shalini decided she should take pity on them and her face broke into a grin.

"I can't believe neither of you have figured it out by now." She told them, "You especially, Naina, you are training to be a doctor."

Naina frowned, trying to figure out what Shalini was saying, and then…

Oh…

She looked up, shock written on her face as she realised what it was, and when Shalini nodded at her, looked down, a small smile spreading on her face.

She couldn't believe she hadn't known.

"Would somebody please tell me what's going on?" Raj demanded, frustrated by the fact that nobody seemed to want to tell him.

"Well Captain, it's very simple." Shalini told him, a smile spreading across her face.

"You're going to become a father."


	44. Chapter 43

Chapter Forty Three

Raj was so surprised that for a minute he couldn't say anything at all, and then… "But how did this happen?" he asked, his brain unable to process the idea fully.

"Well Captain Rajveer I imagine it happened in the usual way." Shalini told him, somewhat amused by his reaction, "Now you don't really want me to go into a scientific explanation for you do you?"

Naina blushed at this, and even Raj coloured slightly, before he reached out to take his wife's hand. His head was spinning from this information, they hadn't planned… it was early in their marriage and Naina was still studying. He had no idea if she was happy at the news or not, or whether she would regret it. She very young after all, and she still hadn't graduated. He should've been more careful and now… but the idea of having a child with her, their child, made him smile despite his worries.

"It'll probably take awhile to sink in…" Shalini told them, observing the looks on both their faces, "It's an important moment in your lives."

"Thank you for telling us," Raj replied, a smile now visible on his face as he glanced across at Naina. "This is… well right now I can't… I mean…"

"That's quite alright, Captain, now I can understand if you and Naina want some time alone so feel free to leave me now." She told them, her eyes sparkling.

Naina hadn't spoken yet, but when she looked up it was easy to see the joy in her eyes, mixed with just a little bit of fear.

Still grasping her hand, Raj led her out of Shalini's office and back to their room where he closed the door softly before leading her to the bedroom where they could talk freely.

"You are happy, aren't you?" he asked her gently, almost afraid of what the answer would be.

She reached out a hand and touched his face lovingly, running her fingers down his cheek before she reached out to take his hands in hers.

"How could I not be?" she asked him, "Our child… what more could I want?"

"I was worried," he told her as he squeezed her hands, "You're young to become a mother, and you haven't finished your studies yet. I want you to be able to graduate, to work…"

"Being pregnant won't stop me from studying," she reassured him, "I'll continue to study for as long as it's safe and then go back and finish after the baby is born. Fulfilling one dream doesn't mean that I have to give up on my other dreams."

Unable to express his relief that she wasn't disappointed by the news, Raj hugged her tightly, trying to be even more gentle than usual. She rested her head on his shoulder.

"I won't break if you hug me, you know." She told him, amused. "I'm just pregnant, not dying of some disease."

"I know… but it's my first time… I mean of course it's my first time… I mean, I know it's yours too…" He'd gotten so mixed up in his happiness and relief that he couldn't speak properly and she laughed.

"So when should we break this news to everyone?" she asked.

"As soon as possible," he told her with a grin, "I know that Sherry will be thrilled by the idea of becoming an aunty, and I can just imagine how happy Abhi and the rest of the cadets will be to find out too, and as far as I know Shalini… she won't be able to keep this quiet for long."

/

Raj was right, and in the end they didn't need to worry about notifying anybody, Shalini did an admirable job of it for them. Unable to control her happiness, she had let out the news to Suriji when she met him in the mess.

"Oye Shalini ji sach?" he had asked her excitedly, and when she nodded in the affirmative had let out an "Oye Balle Balle!" and unable to control himself he had broken out into an impromptu bhangra dance, "Free chai for everyone!" he had announced, and the cadets had all cheered.

"What's up, Suriji?" Yudi asked him, as he came over to their table to serve chai.

"Oh puttar, such great news I just found out from Shalini-ji, Naina puttar is pregnant!"

As soon as she heard it, Sherry let out a screech of delight, "Are you serious Suriji?" she asked him.

"I just heard it from Dr. Shalini, you can ask her yourself!"

Incredibly excited, Sherry turned to hug Pooja tightly, who was already jumping up and down where she sat on the bench before she turned to hug Aalekh who sat on her other side.

"I'm going to be a bua!" she announced happily to everyone.

"Aur apun mamaa banega!" Aalekh announced just as happily.

"Oy what about the rest of us, are we all just missed calls?" Pooja asked, "We're all going to be aunties and uncles!"

"I'm going to call my mummy up right now and ask her to send her best laddoos!" Huda announced happily.

They continued to dance excitedly around the mess for awhile, hugging each other, until Sherry pulled away. "I'll go and congratulate them!" she told everyone, before running out of the room and down the corridor.

She spotted Abhi at the last moment, but was still heading at far too great a speed to stop herself colliding with him. He grabbed her by the arms to stop her falling down and steadied her, pulling her up again before he stopped to stare. Her cheeks were flushed from running and the happiness in her eyes and full fledged smile on her face were something he had never seen before. Happy like this, she was the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.

She laughed, clutching his arms as he made sure she regained her balance. "Have you heard?" she asked him excitedly, "Do you know?"

"Do I know what?" he asked her, not having a clue what she was talking about but excited anyway.

"That Naina is pregnant!" Sherry exclaimed, "She and Bhaiyya are going to have a baby!"

He let out a whoop of joy and before he knew it, Sherry had thrown her arms around him to hug him. He found himself hugging her back tightly, lifting her off the ground slightly in his own happiness before he remembered exactly where they were and exactly who he was hugging and put her back down.

She looked a bit embarrassed about it, but it didn't dull her happiness one bit, "I'm going to go and congratulate them," she told him, "Come with me."

"Maybe I should let you go by yourself…" he said uncertainly, even though he was dying to see them both, "I can always see them later."

"Don't be silly, we'll both go now," she told him, and grabbing his hand, dragged him the short distance to Raj and Naina's room, flinging open the door excitedly.

"Bhaiyya! Bhabhi!" she called out, not bothering to knock as she ran inside. Finding Raj in the kitchen area, she hugged him, jumping up and down while doing so.

He laughed as he hugged her back, remembering when they had been younger together and the way she used to act as a small girl. They had been so happy back then… life had been so uncomplicated.

"Oh Bhaiyya, I'm so happy, I just heard the news!" she told him, "You're going to become a father! I'm going to become an aunt! Where's Bhabhi?" letting him go, she ran to the bedroom to find Naina. As soon as she had gone, Abhi took her place, hugging Raj tightly and clapping him on the back.

"I can't describe how happy I am, my friend." He told Raj warmly, "If Navin had been here today then…" He broke off abruptly and they hugged each other even tighter before finally letting each other go as Sherry emerged from the bedroom with Naina, who had been resting on Raj's orders.

"Congratulations, Naina." Abhi told her, giving her a loose hug. "I was so happy to hear the news."

"I don't think I've ever been this happy before in my entire life." Sherry exclaimed, still clutching one of Naina's hands. "Don't worry Bhabhi, I'll do as much babysitting as you need so that you can go back to your studies afterwards."

Abhi laughed at this, "I expect that the whole academy will offer to help with babysitting," he told them, "You'll never have any lack of offers to help."

"We've only just found out today and already Raj is in a bit of a state," Naina joked with them, "He keeps telling me to go and rest, won't let me do any work. The only thing he has let me do since finding out is to call my mother and even then he grabbed the phone from me midway through the conversation to get tips from her."

Raj smiled sheepishly at this, "What am I supposed to do?" he asked helplessly, "It's been so unexpected… I've panicked a little bit. I'm sure I'll calm down after a week or so when I get used to the idea."

"Or maybe when the baby is born," Abhi joked and Raj laughed, knowing that it would probably turn out to be true.

There was a knock at the door then, and Raj opened it, a large smile on his face when he saw the person standing there.

"Our baby's future maama has arrived." He announced to Naina cheerfully, putting an arm around Aalekh's shoulders and escorting him inside. Aalekh was quieter about his happiness than the others but he crossed to where Naina sat on the couch, placing one hand on her hair before sitting down beside her.

"Today…" he announced emotionally, "You've given me one more relation I never dreamed I could have."

Naina burst into tears at this statement and Aalekh put his arm around her in a half hug.

"I'm sorry," she told him, "I think it must be the hormones that are making me cry."

"It's alright." He replied calmly, "I understand."

Raj crossed the room to sit beside her, taking her hand in his and smoothing the knuckles with his thumb. "No more crying," he told her in a mock stern tone. "It's bad for the baby."

Naina laughed, "See, he's started again."

"We all want to have a party for you both tonight," Aalekh informed them, "What do you say… con… congrat… congratulations. Will you come?"

"Of course I will." Naina promised, "Unless Captain Shekawat here forbids me from going."

They all turned to look at him expectantly.

"Of course I won't!" he said cheerfully, "But I want her in bed by an early hour. She has to be rested if she's going to college in the morning."

Naina sighed at this, wondering how she was going to survive the next few months with him, and Sherry rolled her eyes. "Bhaiyya, Naina is training to be a doctor, I think she can tell by herself what she should and shouldn't do." She advised him.

"I know…" Raj said a little guiltily, "I'm just feeling quite… protective I guess."

"I think the right word is 'overprotective'." Abhi told him, "Now the rest of us have a party to plan so we should leave the parents-to-be alone for awhile."

They said their goodbyes and left the room, their excited voices carrying down the corridor.

"I have been overdoing it a little bit, haven't I?" Raj asked Naina.

"Just a little bit," she agreed, a small smile on her face. "But you're adorable when you do it."

She put her arms around his neck, and he placed his around her waist before planting a small kiss on her cheek.

"No matter if we hadn't planned this," she told him, "No matter if I'm young and haven't finished my studies yet. We'll overcome every problem that occurs, and we'll be happy together with our family."

"You know I've been thinking of something for awhile now…" Raj told her, "And today with this news, it's made me think that it's an even better idea. What if from now on Sherry lived with us? She hasn't been happy with her father… I don't know what problem there is between them but I know that she's not happy. If she lived with us then she could have a real family, and it would be easier for you as well…"

"Raj…" she quietened him, putting her finger on his lips. "You don't need to give me reasons. I would be the happiest person in the world if Sherry came to live with us…. Even I don't want to send her back home to her father."

"Then it's decided," Raj announced, "She won't go home next holidays… she'll stay with us instead."

"Did you see how happy she was? How happy they all were?" Naina asked him, her eyes sparkling.

"At least now you should know how much everybody loves you," Raj told her, "You've got more support than you know."

"And I'll never forget it…" Naina said, "Coming to the academy to join you has been the best decision of my entire life. I've never received love like this before or had friends like this before."

And she knew… that their baby was going to be one of the most loved babies in the entire world.

/

It didn't take long for the cadets to decorate the mess with the help of Suriji, Abhimanyu and Shalini. They strung up streamers and balloons while Suriji made a cake, Pooja chattering away nonstop to Ali and anyone else who would listen. Huda didn't waste any opportunity to flirt with the other female cadets who had come to help, although he did occasionally shoot glances in Sherry's direction. He hadn't entirely gotten over her yet, although he was trying his best to.

"I've never been so happy in my life as I am today," Sherry told Abhi as he helped her with some plates. He hadn't been able to resist approaching her, he had never seen her like this before, as if she was about to brim over with joy. He was so used to seeing her upset, that the change was like magic. She was once again the girl that he had met briefly at his graduation ceremony, full of fun and chatter.

"From now on, this is how you should be." He told her, an intensity in his voice that made her pause to stare at him, "I don't want to see you upset again… or worried. Whatever has happened in the past has happened, you can't change it. Forget it and move on into the future."

"He won't allow me to forget it," she told Abhi, momentarily sad again, "He won't let me go that easily… but one thing is for future. I won't allow even so much as my father's shadow to fall on their baby."

"Now forget all about him," Abhi counselled her, "And give me that smile again, the one that was on your face just before."

She did smile at him then, blindingly beautiful in her happiness, and unable to help himself, he touched her face gently, then realising what he had done, turned around awkwardly.

"Raj and Naina will be arriving any minute, we should get these plates out…" he said in a distracted tone, taking a pile out to where the tables are set up.

And despite herself, despite everything, Sherry kept smiling.

/

An hour later, the party was in full swing. Suriji had insisted on feeding Naina as much cake as possible and giving her his special lassi, telling her that it was good for the baby. Practically every cadet in the academy came up to give their congratulations, and even Brigadier Chandook had come in briefly to congratulate the pair. Dr. Mishra had appeared at some point and after congratulating them both, her manner slightly cool, had gone to stand with Shalini. Naina was happy with this, the more distance between them and that woman the better.

Huda had just put some music on and was encouraging everyone to dance when suddenly the electricity went off. A few cadets shrieked and Raj quickly put out a steadying hand to Naina where she sat, worried that she would be scared. He was almost knocked off balance when someone brushed past him, but he steadied himself on the table.

"Oy don't panic cadets!" Suriji announced, "I'll just get the candles and then go check the fuse!" He emerged shortly after with candles, putting them on the tables before going out to check the fuse. Abhi, Raj and Shalini made sure that the cadets were calm before he returned back to where Naina sat.

"You are okay aren't you?" he asked her.

"What did you think, that after everything we've been through, a little darkness would scare me?" she asked him laughingly. "You're being overprotective again."

"I'll try to be better in future," he tells her, "But honestly… no promises."

"I won't ask you to make any," she told him, and as he stood behind her, placing both hands on her shoulders, she brought up her hands to cover his.

No matter how dark the world around her was, today there was nothing that could stop her happiness shining through.


	45. Chapter 44

Chapter Forty Four

The party had ended some time ago and most of the inhabitants of the academy had gone to bed, but one was still awake. After all, how could she sleep when there was so much to get done?

Pulling the mask over her face, Ritu moved forward towards her destination, the rundown shack that contained the nuclear triggers. If she was successful tonight then it would be the end of her mission, she would finally be out of this dump of an academy. She smiled as she thought of the reactions of her bosses if she were to succeed; there would be rewards for her, more money than she could ever wish for.

Entering the shack she scanned the room with the equipment they had given her, trying to locate the card reader that would give her access to the inner chamber. After such a long time she had finally gotten the opportunity to steal Captain Rajveer's access card, having ordered one of her colleagues to shut off the power during the party that night. She had known that due to his happiness at his wife's pregnancy he would be at his least alert, less prepared for any type of hostile action. She had managed to take it without him ever realising.

She was the best after all, that was why they had sent her for this mission.

Locating the card reader, she attached a device to read the pincode, smiling when it came up on screen just as she had been promised. Swiping the card, she waited, barely daring to breathe. This was the moment… the moment when she would gain what she most desired.

But nothing happened.

Resisting the urge to scream in frustration, Ritu searched for the source of the problem before she spotted another disguised card reader on the other side of the room. She suddenly realised that all of her plans had been in vain… they hadn't been tipped off about the change in security arrangements. Looking at the identical card readers, she guessed that a new card must have been issued to Captain Abhimanyu, and that the cards would have to be swiped simultaneously.

It was too late now… Captain Rajveer would soon realise that his card was gone, and they must have already been alerted to her presence here. After this, security would be even further tightened, making her mission all the more impossible. Ritu cursed, striking the machine and removing the card. Colonel Shakti must have kept the new arrangements secret from everybody, otherwise the spy in his department would've found out and notified her bosses.

Knowing that she had no time left, Ritu left from there as quickly as possible.

No matter how bad things seemed… there was always hope. She would find a way to complete her mission.

/

Raj and Naina had just gone to bed when his phone rang, startling him. Seeing Colonel Shakti's number on the phone, he picked up immediately, knowing that there must be some problem for his superior to be calling him at this time of night.

"Yes, Sir?" he questioned, answering the call.

"Captain Rajveer, did you just try to gain entry to the trigger room?" Colonel Shakti asked him, "Your card has just been used to do so…"

"No…" Raj told him, "My card…" Suddenly panicking, he reached for the jacket he had just taken off, freezing when he realised that the card was not where it should be. "Sir… my card." He said in a panicked voice.

"Get there as soon as possible!" Colonel Shakti ordered him, "Don't let the spy escape!"

Raj was already pulling on his shoes as his superior gave the order, grabbing his gun and hanging up the phone.

"Naina, stay inside!" he told her as he ran out, "Lock the door after me and don't open it for anybody except me or Abhi."

Fear evident on her face, Naina got up from the bed, locking the door after him as he already ran down the hallway.

Running towards the shack, Raj pressed Abhi's number on the speed dial, his friend picked up quickly.

"There's been an attempt to access the trigger room, my card is missing." Raj told him shortly, "Join me there as soon as possible!"

"I'm on my way!" Abhi told him, and Raj hung up the phone, slowing and readying his gun as he reached the shack, taking it off the safety setting. Kicking the door open, he surveyed the room, not surprised to find that the intruder was already gone. He quickly surveyed the room, looking for any clues that might give an indication of where the intruder had gone or who they had been.

Within a minute Abhi arrived, breathing hard, having obviously run the whole way.

"They're gone," Raj announced to him grimly, "They got my card somehow…" and he suddenly remembered the lights going out at the party… the person crashing against him. He groaned, cursing himself for not realising it at the time. "They must have gotten somebody to switch off the electricity to be able to get it."

"It's not your fault, Raj." Abhi told him, "Whoever has done this is a professional… they knew exactly what they were doing."

"Let's split up and search the grounds," Raj suggested, "See if we can find anything."

They searched, but found nothing. The guards hadn't seen anyone exiting the academy which meant one thing, whoever had done this was still on the grounds somewhere.

"Our suspicion was right…" Abhi told him, "Whoever it is has been posing as either a faculty member or a cadet here."

"And more and more these days…. My suspicion is directed towards a certain person." Raj mused. The evidence was beginning to mount up…

"Dr. Ritu Mishra." Abhi finished for him, "Even I think so… everything adds up to her. Her past relationship with Navin, the way that she's behaved with both of us. You know Sherry has never trusted her since the very beginning… was constantly warning me about her."

"Well it's good to see that my sister could have a career in army intelligence," Raj said, completely seriously, "She's always had very good instincts about people… I trust her judgement."

Abhi nodded, Raj's words reminding him of Sherry's reactions to her own father. If she hated the man that much then…

"If it is Dr. Mishra then we have to find some way to trip her up… take her by surprise so that she reveals herself." Raj said, interrupting his thoughts, "Perhaps it's finally time to reveal that we know about her and Navin."

Abhi nodded, "If nothing else can be done for tonight then we'll go back to our quarters, and inform the guards to be on high alert. Tomorrow we'll tackle the problem of Dr. Mishra... for now, Naina must be worried."

They made their way back to the main building quickly, Abhi bidding goodnight to Raj and heading for his own quarters. Raj knocked on the door to his own quarters, calling out Naina's name softly.

She opened the door quickly, her face showing the nervousness and fear that she must be feeling. "Is everything okay?" she asked him, "Something has gone wrong hasn't it…"

"There is a problem," he admitted, "But it's been managed for now. Try not to worry too much, I don't want you stressing yourself."

He rubbed her back soothingly, trying to calm her down before hugging her.

Naina smiled a little sadly, "How can I not worry?" she asked him, "I know how dangerous your job is, and I can't help but think that something has gone wrong… that something is happening…"

He settled her back into bed, pulling the sheets over her and making her lie down before taking off his shoes, and putting his gun back in its normal place. Finally ready, he climbed back into the bed, hugging her to him.

"Nothing will happen to me, Naina." He told her, resting his chin on her shoulder as he hugged her back. "I'm not going to leave you that quickly, we have our whole lives ahead of us still."

"Good…" she told him, "Don't even think of breaking that promise."

"Actually I was going to tell you something," Raj began to say, "Abhi and I were discussing it… and we decided it's a good idea if Dr. Mishra finds out that we know about her and Navin. If there's any opportunity then feel free to bring it up."

"I'll do that…" Naina promised him, as she twisted her face around to kiss his cheek, "Anything that I can do to help at all… you know that I'll do it."

It was as much her fight as it was theirs.

Whatever happened, she would help to prove her brother innocent.

/

Naina's chance came the very next day, after she had returned from her classes and had gone to the mess with the intention of studying. Most of the students were still in class so it was quiet enough for her to be able to get her work done. Her exams were coming up soon and she wanted to be as prepared as possible. These would be her final exams before she began her internship, and she was determined to get the best marks possible.

"Aagayi tu, Naina Putar?" Suriji asked her as she sat down, "You relax now… I'll just get you some lassi and make you some parathas."

"You're spoiling me, Suriji." She told him, "You're so good to me."

"I want you to be as healthy as possible," he told her, "And lassi will be good for the baby too… now you just rest there, don't go anywhere, and I'll be back soon."

Naina smiled as he departed, she loved the older man like an uncle, he was one of the kindest people she'd ever met.

"I must say, Mrs Shekawat…" a cool voice interrupted her thoughts, "That you're certainly lucky, you've got everything you could ever wish for in life. The love of so many people…"

Naina looked at the woman in front of her, measuring her. "Even you could've had the same," she told Ritu, "If you'd made the right choices."

"What do you mean?" Ritu asked, startled by Naina's words, what did this girl know…. Did she know that…

"I know about you and my brother." Naina told her calmly, "I've seen the picture of you both together at the alumni night ball. Now all I don't know… is why you abandoned him, what happened between you."

Ritu's face turns white, and then red, as Naina watches her, and she sputtered for words.

"You don't understand…" Ritu told her, "It wasn't my fault… you have no idea what happened."

"Then explain it to me." Naina replied, an edge of anger in her voice, "Help me to understand how it is that you could've abandoned my brother who loved you so much."

"It's not that simple, Naina." Tears appeared in the woman's eyes but somehow Naina wasn't moved by them. Everything seemed too fake, after all when Ritu had been lying for this long, why should she believe a single thing that the woman said.

"Then tell me your story," Naina told her, "Make me understand."

Suriji came out then with the lassi and parathas, looking curiously at Dr. Mishra where she stood in front of Naina.

"We could go somewhere else…" Ritu suggested.

"No, I'm fine here." Naina replied, her tone steely, "I need to finish my lassi and parathas… and I think you owe me answers."

And so Ritu reluctantly sat down in front of her, and began to tell a story of how she had been arrested along with Naveen, and tortured until she signed a confession, all in the hopes of seeing him, in clearing it all up.

As Naina listened to the story, she tried to keep her face calm, even as the anger built up inside her. She knew that this woman was lying, knew that she had probably betrayed her brother, even trapped him, but how should she prove it… how could she expose the truth?

When Ritu had finished her story, tears glistening in her eyes, Naina nodded once, considering the woman.

"And I should believe you for what reason?" Naina asked, one eyebrow raised. "My only brother… who I loved most in this world… his death was at least partially caused by you."

"I don't know how to make you believe me," Ritu replied, trying to keep a guilty looking emotion on her face, "I hope that I can prove myself to you in time…"

"I hope that you can too." Naina commented, leaving it at that. She dusted off her hands and picked up her books. "Thank you Suriji, that was delicious." She told him, "And Dr. Mishra… I'm glad we finally talked about this."

She managed to get back to her room before she broke down, throwing her books on the table and breaking into tears, collapsing on the couch.

Her brother… so full of life, so loving, always ready with a joke and a smile… had been trapped by that woman, used by her. He had been betrayed by his own love. She wondered how he must have felt when he found out… how he would've reacted. He would've been broken by it, defeated…

Fifteen minutes later Raj found her still there, crying bitterly on the couch, clutching one of the pillows.

"Naina? Naina what happened?" he asked her, as she reached out for him. He gathered her in his arms, rocking her back and forth as she cried, whispering soothing words to her and kissing her hair while he rubbed her back. "Naina say something!" he pleaded with her.

"Bhaiyya…" she said hiccuping and the whole story poured out, everything that Ritu had told her, from the beginning of the story to the end.

"Do you believe her?" Raj asked seriously, still smoothing Naina's hair.

"Not a single word," Naina told him, "None of it… I think she's lying about everything."

"We will prove it in the end." Raj promised her, "Now dry your eyes and don't think about it anymore, I don't want to see you upset like this again."

Naina nodded, and wiping her eyes, attempted a smile. She had to be strong, she couldn't become weak at a time like this.

There was a knock at the door and it opened to admit Sherry, who looked at Naina and Raj suspiciously as she came in.

"Bhabhi, why were you crying?" she asked her, "Did something happen?"

"No, nothing." Naina lied, not wanting to worry her. "It's just the hormones, makes me want to cry quite often…"

"Well that's alright then I suppose," Sherry told her, still looking as if she didn't quite believe it, "But if I come in to find you crying again then Bhaiyya is going to be in some serious trouble with me for not keeping you happy." She gave him a stern look to prove her point.

"Well you'll be able to keep a close eye on me in future," Raj told her, a grin coming to his face. He looked down at Naina, who nodded, a genuine smile coming to her face.

"And why's that?" Sherry asked him, an eyebrow raised.

"We want you to come and live with us." Raj told her, "I couldn't take you before… I was by myself, in the army… there was no way I could have looked after you, but now that Naina is with me we want you with us, you're a part of our family."

Sherry stared at him in shock before turning to Naina, "Do you really mean this?" she asked them, "I can't… I mean you have your own lives and I'll be a burden and…"

"Of course you won't be a burden, silly." Naina chided her, "Didn't you promise me that you'd babysit? Don't think that if you live with us, you'll escape from doing work! You'll be a huge help to me!"

And even as she smiled, Sherry's face suddenly crumpled and she burst into tears, trying to talk and instead babbling incoherently. Shocked, Raj and Naina both got up from the couch and went over to her, hugging her.

"And I'm not even pregnant." Sherry sobbed, "I don't have any excuse."

"I haven't been a good brother to you, have I?" Raj asked her, guilt spreading across her face, "I was never able to look after you… you've been so unhappy and I was never able to help. But I promise you, Sherry, that from now on, I'll do everything to make sure that you're never unhappy again."

Naina kissed her cheek, hugging her, and Sherry put her arms around both of them, hugging them back. Would it really be possible that she could leave her old life behind, come out from her father's shadow? Could she have a normal life? A happy life?

She wanted to believe that it was possible… that she could really honestly be happy in life.

"Am I disturbing something?" Abhi asked, looking a bit amused as he walks in.

"Not at all… just a nice family hug." Raj told him, "From now on, my sister's going to be staying with me. I won't allow her to go anywhere."

And as Abhi grinned at Sherry, she felt that familiar warm feeling spread low in her gut at the sight of his smile.

And happiness… didn't seem so very far away after all.

/

Ritu glanced around her practically destroyed room, at the things that she had thrown everywhere. That little… how did that girl dare to sit there at the table and challenge her like that, questioning her about Navin, calling her a liar.

Ritu wasn't used to having to answer to anybody, and today… she had had enough.

She was sick of this, sick of the waiting, and the planning, and having to be nice to people. It was time to make her final move.

They might think they had covered all bases, but Ritu knew… that even if the enemy's defences were strong, there was always a weakness. If she couldn't gain the triggers while they remained inside the academy then she would have to wait until they were moved outside it.

Ritu smiled… because she knew a perfect way to achieve it.


	46. Chapter 45

Chapter Forty Five

Naina tried not to smile as she watched Raj bustle around the kitchen preparing breakfast for her. Since the day they had found out she was pregnant he had barely allowed her to do anything at all. According to him the only three things she were allowed to do were study, look after her health and be happy.

"I know that you find this ridiculous," he told her even as his back was to her, "But don't think that I'm going to give up anytime soon. No work allowed for you at all!"

He was so cheerful about the idea that it was almost unnatural.

"But my cooking is better than yours," Naina protested, "Do you really intend to cook every single day for the next six months?"

"Even longer," he told her, "Because you won't want to cook after the delivery either."

"Exactly," Naina answered, "And that's exactly why you should be letting me do it now."

"I thought you would enjoy me looking after you," he commented, frowning slightly, "Or am I not doing a good job of it?"

"No, no, you're doing an excellent job of it." Naina reassured him quickly, "I think I'm just a bit too used to being the one to look after you."

Raj had just set down a plate in front of her and was about to reply when his phone rang. Frowning slightly, he checked the number and then immediately picked it up.

"Lala Saheb, it's wonderful to hear from you!" he told the older man, "I was planning to call you soon to…"

"Yes I heard the news about your wife," Lala told him, "Congratulations, you must be very happy."

"I certainly am," Raj replied, beaming as he talked on the phone. Naina looked at him curiously and he made a gesture for her to start eating.

Knowing it was best not to disagree with him in his current protective mode, she did so.

"I hadn't expected you to begin your family quite so soon," Lala commented dryly, "But I suppose that these things do happen."

"We hadn't been expecting it either, but we're both thrilled." Raj told him, "Sherry has been very excited too."

"And how is my daughter?" Lala asked him, "Is she behaving herself?"

"She's a model cadet, Sir, and has been excelling at the training lately." Raj told him, "And on that topic, I wanted to ask you something."

"Yes?"

"I know that you and Sherry don't get on well together… since she's been here with Naina and I she's been much happier, much more settled. I was wondering whether we could have her live with us permanently. Perhaps eventually… your own relationship with her would improve." Raj suggested, praying that the older man would say yes.

"I don't see why not." Gehlot told him, "Anything to stop her being an embarrassment to me. If she's happy there then she can stay with you."

"Thank you Sir… was there anything else?" Raj asked him.

"No, I had just called to congratulate you. Give my regards to your wife." Gehlot told him, and hung up.

"He agreed?" Naina asked after finishing her mouthful of food.

"He did," Raj told her, a broad smile spreading on his face, "She'll be staying with us."

Reaching out for his hand and pulling him down to sit with her, Naina kissed his cheek. "You're a good elder brother." She told him.

"I just hope that I can be one…" Raj said, a sudden frown coming to his face, "She still won't tell me what the problem really is… I worry that she's bottling it all up inside."

"I think it's possible that she does confide in someone…" Naina suggested, not knowing exactly how much to say. "Perhaps not everything, but…"

"Really, who?" Raj asked curiously.

Naina shook her head at him, wondering how he could've missed it when it was so obvious to her. But she knew that men were always less observant to women.

"She's quite close to Abhimanyu," Naina revealed, "It's possible that she confides in him."

"I hope so," Raj replied, "If she does then I trust him to do the right thing and help her however he can…. Now keep eating or we'll get late for our appointment."

Naina sighed, wondering if he was ever going to realize exactly what it was that she wanted to tell him.

/

With the Captain and his wife gone from the academy for their doctor's appointment and all of the cadets in classes, it was the perfect time for Ritu to carry out the next part of her plan.

She executed it quickly, ensuring that nobody was around to see her actions, gloves on to make sure that her fingerprints were not found on anything.

She finished her work and relocked the door behind her, smiling. This time… it was impossible for anything to go wrong.

/

"Do you think that it will be a boy or a girl?" Pooja asked the rest of the cadets as they took a rest during a drill that Captain Abhimanyu was taking. Much more generous than Nair, he had given them a full fifteen minutes to relax until the next part.

"It doesn't matter," Sherry replied, "Boy or girl, it will be the most beautiful child in the world."

Aalekh nodded his agreement at this, followed by the rest of them.

"I was just wondering," Pooja said brightly, "So that we can think of what presents to buy for it. Just think how much fun it's going to be when our new connection arrives! How many games we'll play, how many new covers we'll get for the baby!"

"Careful Osool, soon she'll be wanting one of her own." Huda teased Ali, causing both him and Pooja to turn bright red.

"Oy missed call! Turn off your outgoings!" Pooja demanded.

"Make me!" Huda teased her, and as Ali tried to stop her, she began to chase him.

Yudi laughed, cheering Pooja on, while Aalekh muttered something under his breath.

Spotting Abhimanyu returning down the slope, Sherry got off the ground, dusting off her pants and walked to meet him.

"What's going on?" he asked her, looking amused as Pooja continued to chase Huda, who was now trying to use Aalekh as a barrier.

"Nothing, Sir." She told him, "We were talking about Bhaiyya and Bhabhie's baby and Huda couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Ali and Pooja."

"Well, we're all excited," Abhi told her with a grin, "I can't remember the last time that I was this thrilled about something."

She grinned back at him, "And from now on I'll actually be able to live with them… Bhaiyya spoke to my father this morning and he's agreed. I don't have to go home these holidays!"

"That's fantastic!" Abhi exclaimed, resisting the urge to hug her when he heard the good news, "In that case I hope I can convince Raj to bring you both to visit Balmer, you'd love it there, I know you would."

"I would like to visit…" Sherry admitted softly, "I remember that when Bhaiyya went there to visit you he said it was beautiful."

"And you could meet my family, I know my parents would love you." Abhi said without thinking, and Sherry hurriedly looked away, wondering whether he had really meant it the way that it sounded.

"Our break is over now, right Sir?" she asked, still not looking directly at him.

"Uh, yes…" he admitted, a little dazed as he tried to judge the meaning of her reaction. "I'd better go and rescue Huda from Pooja."

As he walked ahead, calling out to the two cadets, Sherry struggled to hide a smile. She was not a foolish schoolgirl, she reminded herself. She was reading too much into his last sentence. However despite her best efforts, a smile still came to her lips.

/

An hour later, Raj was back in the academy after having dropped Naina off at college. They had gone to the local hospital for the first proper check up, including an ultrasound, and had both watched in amazement as they saw their child's heartbeat for the first time. He had clutched her hand tightly, wondering if it could really be true, and now back in the academy he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

"Everything went well?" Abhi asked him when they met in the hallway.

"It's something that I'll never forget," Raj told him honestly, "I could never have thought that my life would turn out this way… after Navin's death I thought that I didn't deserve any happiness, that I could never…"

Impulsively, Abhi hugged him, wrapping his arms around Raj. "You deserve every happiness in the world, my friend." He told him, "Everything that you have today, you fully deserve."

"It's like a dream…" Raj told him, "A dream that I'm afraid I'm going to be woken up from."

And watching them, a smile on her face, Ritu left to make the final call.

/

Raj and Naina had just finished chatting with Shalini in her office in the afternoon and were returning to their own room when they heard a sudden commotion and spotted several unknown officers heading down the corridor towards them.

"Are you Captain Shekawat?" One of them asked him, Raj nodded, wondering what was going on.

"I have orders to search your room," The man told him, "I would appreciate it if you would cooperate with us."

"Orders?" Raj asked him, "Why? What reason are you searching my room for?"

"You'll find that out soon enough," The officer told him, "For now… take us there."

"Naina… you stay here with Shalini." Raj told her, noticing that her face had turned white with fear. "Shalini… look after her please."

Shalini just nodded, also worried, and took Naina back inside the office.

Raj led the officers to their quarters, opening the door and letting them inside. He watched as they methodically searched everywhere, opening cupboards and drawers and checking inside, looking for something.

"What is it you're looking for?" he asked them, frustrated at not knowing what was going on. They just ignored him and continued their search.

"Sir!" One of them called out, pulling something out from the back of Naina's closet, a box that had been covered with a shawl.

"What is that?" Raj asked them, "It's not ours."

"Not that you know of anyway…" The leading officer informed him, "Lieutenant, open it up."

As Raj watched, the box was opened, and as the contents were revealed his head reeled with the implications.

Some communications equipment… his lost security card… some important papers and what looked like a list of contacts… this was….

They had been set up.

"We received a tip off today that the spy in KMA is actually your wife, Captain." The lead officer informed him somewhat smugly, "That's why you were never able to work out who it was, she was under your nose the entire time."

"No, this isn't true." Raj told them desperately, "We know who the spy is… we just haven't been able to prove it yet. This is a trap set up to implicate Naina so that the real culprit can get away with it."

"Right now all evidence points towards Mrs Shekawat, we need to take her in for questioning." The officer informed him, "I assume that as a member of the Armed Forces you won't obstruct us in any way."

"Don't do this to her," Raj pleaded with them, "She's pregnant for god's sakes, this kind of shock…."

"Don't try to emotionally blackmail us, Captain." The officer told him sharply, "If you cooperate with us, you can accompany her. If not… you can stay here."

There was no way out, he realised. While they had been planning to trap Dr. Mishra she had woven her own web for them and now they were firmly stuck in it.

He nodded helplessly and they headed back to Dr. Shalini's office.

"Just… wait here." Raj told them, "I'll explain to her… then bring her out."

He entered the office, closing the door behind him, and gazed down at his wife. Her face was still pale, and she was obviously nervous.

"Something has happened, hasn't it?" she asked him.

"Somebody called them… gave an anonymous tip off…. They found some things in our room and they think that you're the spy." Raj told her, knowing that he had no choice but to be honest. "They want to take you in for questioning now."

Naina gave a sudden sob as the implications hit her. Raj gathered her to him, hugging her as much to reassure himself as to reassure her.

"Nothing will happen to you Naina… we'll prove them wrong… we'll prove to them who the real spy is." He promised her, "But for now… we have to go with them. You'll have to answer their questions. I'll be there right by your side, I won't leave you."

"I'll ask permission to come as well," Shalini informed him, "With Naina's health as it is, I don't think she should be questioned without a doctor present."

Raj nodded, and they left the office together, Naina clutching his hand tightly.

"We're ready," he informed the guard and they set off, the leading officer was just about to turn the corner when he almost collided with Abhi, who had been running at full pelt down the hallway.

"Raj… I heard…." He said, out of breath.

Seeing the scene in front of him, he knew that what he had heard was true.

"Call Colonel Chandra," Raj told him, "See if he can do anything for us, he knows…." He didn't complete the sentence in front of the officers there, but Colonel Chandra already knew their suspicions about the spy.

"I'll call him right now," Abhi promised, "I'll do anything I can, you don't worry Naina, nothing is going to happen to you!" he promised her. She couldn't even respond she was so scared, because all of this reminded her, most of all… of what had happened to her brother.

Was she about to suffer the same fate that he had?

/

The questioning lasted for hours… the accusations came again and again about what Naina was doing in the academy, why she had come there. She told her story honestly and accurately, trying to answer their questions without breaking down.

"Who did you give your husband's security card to?" they asked her, "Who tried to break into the triggers room?"

"I never even knew that there was a triggers room!" she protested, "We never discussed anything about that… I never knew about his security card!"

It went on and on, the questioners only allowing her breaks when Dr. Shalini protested that it was too much and she needed one.

Naina was worried that in the end, she would be the one to break.

/

"For god's sakes, Sir, do something, please!" Abhi begged Colonel Chandra, "You know that she's innocent… she's been framed by the real spy. Don't let what happened to Navin happen again."

"Captain Chauhan for now my hands are tied," Colonel Chandra told him, "The most I can do is ensure that she's not charged for the time being. Unless you can prove that the spy is somebody else then I'm helpless."

"But Sir…"

"The higher ups in Delhi are nervous, Captain. They want the triggers removed from KMA as soon as possible and I'm afraid that it's going to have to be your responsibility alone. They're not willing to trust Captain Shekawat after what has happened."

"Sir…"

"I'm honestly very sorry," Colonel Chandra told him, and Abhi could tell by the tone of his voice that it was genuine. "I'll contact you with further instructions about the triggers, for now all I can tell you is that you should do your best to prove the identity of the spy."

He hung up the phone and Abhi was left staring at it, trying to work out what on earth he could do to fix this.

/

The cadets had been in a state of shock when they had heard it, Aalekh was so angry that everybody was afraid he would do something foolish.

"How could they ever believe that about Mrs Shekawat?" Ali asked helplessly, "Can't they see that somebody is tricking them?"

Sherry abruptly got up from the table at this, "Where are you going?" Pooja asked her, worried about what she might do.

"I've got to try something," she informed them, barely able to stop the tears spilling out from her eyes. "I've got to try…"

Leaving the mess where they had gathered, she went to the phone in the hallway and dialled a familiar number, a number that she hated.

"Father," she said into the receiver when he picked up, "Father I need…"

"Oh I know what you need," he told her, "You've called to ask for my help. How strange that you want it today of all days."

"I know that you can fix this if you want to," Sherry pleaded, "For Bhaiyya's sake, for my sake, please do something…"

"You're right, I could fix this if I wanted to," He told her, "But I don't. It's your brother's fault for marrying her in the first place. Don't waste my time by calling again."

He hung up the phone and she stood there, tears stinging her eyes as she held the receiver in her hand. She had never asked him for anything, and today out of helplessness… She was more convinced than ever that whatever had happened was his doing, that he was responsible for this.

"Is something wrong, Cadet Gehlot?" A sugary sweet voice asked her from behind and Sherry swirled to find herself facing the person who she hated most in the world right now.

"You…" she started to say.

"Yes, me." Ritu replied with a smirk, "Why, did you have something to say to me?"

"You bloody bitch," Sherry bit out, "I know what you are… I know what you've done… and I'll…"

"Yes I know that you know," Ritu replied calmly, "And trust me, I'm not scared. Instead, you're going to help me."

"Help you?" Sherry asked her disbelievingly, "Never! I'll prove to everyone what it is that you are, I'll…"

"If you want to save your Bhabhi, then you'll help me." Ritu continued calmly, ignoring Sherry's anger. "Do you want to hear how or not?"

Sherry froze, because what Ritu was offering was like making a deal with the devil. She knew that there would be a cost, there had to be a cost… but Naina…

"Tell me." She commanded through gritted teeth.

"Poor Naina… suspected by everyone right now. I promise that I'll get her out of this trouble if you do something for me." Ritu said in a clear voice. "But you'll have to make the choice."

"Just hurry up and tell me!" Sherry told her, "And you had better not be bluffing, or…"

"Oh no, I'm not bluffing. If I can get what I really want, then your sister-in-law means nothing to me." Ritu promised, "I would happily arrange to get her out of trouble. You see what I want, what I've wanted all along… are the nuclear triggers. They were out of my reach, it was impossible to get them, but defeat is something that my bosses will never accept. Now with the current situation the triggers are about to be moved out of the academy by our very own Captain Abhimanyu.

Ritu paused, the same smirk on her face as she looked down at Sherry's horrified expression.

"I've realised a long time ago just what a 'special connection' you have with Captain Abhimanyu." She informed Sherry, "He trusts you… and if you were to find out about his plans to move the triggers for me… then your precious sister-in-law could be free."

"Never," Sherry swore solemnly, her hands shaking from the shock, "I'll never do it, I won't…."

"Think carefully before you make your choice." Ritu told her, "I promise… that I'll do my best to ensure that your Captain Abhimanyu isn't harmed too much when we get the triggers. Now it's your choice, your Bhabhi... or your beloved?"

With a cry of rage, Sherry launched herself at Ritu, crashing her down to the ground and hitting her hard on the face. She could hear the orderlies running to stop her but right now she didn't care, all she wanted was to cause this woman pain in any possible way.

"I'll kill you!" Sherry screamed at her, "Do you hear me? I'll kill you!" She was raising her hand to hit Ritu again even as the other woman shifted her position, preparing to stop her, when the orderlies pulled her away.

"Cadet Gehlot what do you think you're doing?" Major Nair asked her, enraged as they pulled her back, still fighting. "I'll put you in solitary confinement for a week!"

"No that's really not necessary Major Nair," Ritu told him, standing up and dusting herself off, "Cadet Gehlot's mental state is quite disturbed right now, and as a psychologist I can understand this. I think that one night in solitary is more than enough for her to realise her mistake… and what it is that she should do in future."

Having said this, she gave one last smirk in Sherry's direction as the younger girl was pulled away, still fighting.

/

The anger wore off fast enough once she was alone in the cell, only to be replaced by despair instead.

Dr. Ritu had thought of everything, she had trapped them on all sides, and now… she had given Sherry an ultimatum.

Whichever option she chose, she would be betraying somebody she loved. If she did nothing then Naina might be imprisoned as a spy… if she betrayed Abhi then he might even be killed.

And right now there seemed to be no way out, unless…

Unless.

Sherry finally made her decision. Desperate times called for desperate actions… and she was desperate enough not to care about the consequences.


	47. Chapter 46

Chapter Forty Six

Dr. Mishra had been right, in solitary confinement Sherry had more than enough time to think about what she should do in future.

She was trapped, completely and utterly trapped. She had to make a choice and she just couldn't.

On the one hand there was Naina, Naina who had already suffered so much as a result of the actions of Sherry's father. Naina… who had given her so much love and care, who had always tried to make her happy, who had finally made Sherry feel like she was part of a family.

And now… when it had looked like Naina was finally receiving the happiness she deserved, this had happened. Sherry couldn't allow the same thing to happen to Naina that had happen to Navin. She couldn't allow Naina, Raj or their baby to suffer this way.

If only she had had the courage to speak out about her father before now this could have all been avoided. In a way it was her fault… she had caused this through her cowardice. Screaming in frustration, she slammed her fist down on the bench she sat on, welcoming the pain.

She deserved it.

And while she could not allow Naina to suffer, on the other hand there was Abhimanyu….

Abhimanyu who had always listened to her when she needed somebody to talk to, who had treated her as a friend, joked with her. Abhi, who had shown her kindness when she didn't deserve it, Abhi who she loved so much that the thought of losing him or betraying him tore her apart.

The thought of him in danger made her breath catch in her throat; they might injure him, even kill him, and even if he survived, the shame of losing the triggers would always haunt him.

She couldn't betray him, she wouldn't. She couldn't put her country at risk either.

She would prefer to die rather than do so.

She had briefly considered setting up a trap for Ritu when the woman tried to steal the triggers while they were being transported, but the risk was too great. Too many things could go wrong and if the triggers actually fell into her hands then the entire country could be ruined.

Unable to help herself, she began to cry, tears spilling forth from her eyes, sobs wracking her body. She was such a fool, she had honestly believed that she could escape from her father's shadow, live happily with her brother and sister-in-law, have friends, perhaps even be with the man she loved…

And now…

There was no way out, no solution unless they could trap the real spy and Dr. Mishra was far too clever for that.

Unless…

Unless she…

She balked at the thought, horrified at it. She couldn't… there must be another way. A year ago she wouldn't have questioned such an action, she would've done it happily with no regrets. It was only when she had so much to lose, so much to live for that she didn't wish to…

For the remaining hours, Sherry wracked her brain for another way, trying to think of another solution, any solution, but nothing came to her.

If she was going to have any chance of saving both of them, then this was the only way, the only way of getting Naina out of trouble, the only way to stop the triggers from being moved and therefore save Abhi…

She was willing to do it, if she could only do one worthwhile thing in her life, one thing to make up for her cowardice then let it be this. Let this be the purpose for which she was born.

Tears began to fall and she wiped them away angrily. She wouldn't cry again after this, certainly not for herself. There was nothing to regret… and yet there was so much to regret.

She almost changed her decision at that moment, she couldn't do it… there was another way, there had to be…

But the sound of the door opening brought her back to reality.

She couldn't fail, there was too much at stake. The lives of the people that she loved most in the world, the safety of her country.

She wouldn't fail.

The announcement was made that she could leave and Sherry walked out tiredly, squinting slightly at the sudden rush of light.

"Sherry are you alright? Is your battery flat?" Pooja asked, rushing forward and supporting her.

"I'm fine…" Sherry told her, "Really I am… there's nothing to worry about."

She looked around at the assembled faces and noticed that one of them was missing.

"Where's Aalekh?" she asked them, immediately worried. He hadn't done something had he… if he too….

"Aalekhbhai was upset after they sent you to solitary confinement," Ali told her, "Major Nair said something to him and he just snapped… he's been put into solitary confinement now too."

Sherry nodded, it was probably better this way. Aalekh knew her well, it was possible that he might have guessed what it was that she planned to do and tried to stop her. Now he wouldn't be here when it was discovered, it would be easier for him…

"Come on Sheru, let's take you to the mess." Huda told her, "You need to get some food in you."

"I don't feel like eating," she protested weakly, "I just want to go and rest…"

"You have to eat something," Yudi broke in, "You need to keep your strength up with everything that's going on and Suriji made us promise to bring you there as soon as they let you out."

It almost made her cry again to hear it… the way that they were all trying to keep her spirits up, look after her.

She loved all of them… they were the first real friends she had ever had.

"Is there any news on Bhaiyya and Bhabhi?" she asked as they headed towards the mess.

"They're still being questioned…" Yudi answered, "Dr. Shalini called just before to say that she didn't know when they would all be back. They let Naina take a rest and get some sleep after she insisted but it looks as if they're determined to make her admit something."

Sherry's hand tightened into a fist as she heard this. The sooner that Naina got out of there the better… and with Dr. Shalini away from the academy her work was going to be much easier.

However she couldn't help but ask what she had been wondering from the time she had been released from solitary confinement.

"Where's Captain Abhimanyu?" Sherry asked them, she had hoped to see him at least once… just once…

"He was called to a meeting this morning," Ali told her, "He asked us to tell you that he would be back as soon as possible."

He had thought about her before going… she wondered whether he had been reluctant to leave, knowing that she was about to be released from the confinement. She was sure that he had wanted to be there. In the end perhaps it was best if she didn't see him, because if she did, then her resolve was likely to weaken.

Sherry sat down in the mess with them while Suriji brought her some parathas.

"Everything will be alright puttar…" he told her, placing a hand on her head, "Just have faith in god…"

She nodded, unable to speak, and ate the parathas slowly, looking at the faces of her friends.

For however long a time she had known them, they had made her feel like she belonged, had been true friends to her. She was glad that she had met them.

Finishing her parathas, she stood up as the others looked at her uncertainly, as if wondering what they should do next.

"I think I'll go and rest for awhile…" she told them, "I didn't get much sleep last night…"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Pooja asked, standing up as well.

"No Pooja, you stay here… I just want to sleep, I'll come and get you if I need anything." Sherry told her. She took one last look at them before she left the room, and wished that Aalekh actually had been there.

She made her way to Dr. Shalini's room quickly, and searching for the cupboard, found what she had been looking for. It should do the trick, it would be painless and…

Refusing to think about it, she hid the small bottle underneath her shirt and left the office, closing the door behind her. It was lucky that in the rush to leave Shalini hadn't remembered to lock it.

She had only taken two steps when she heard her name called and closing her eyes briefly, she turned around to face him.

"Sherry… are you alright?" Abhimanyu asked her worriedly, "I was called into headquarters, I couldn't refuse… I tried my best to talk to them about Naina but I'm not sure how much they listened." He reached out to grasp her by the shoulders, his hands warm even through her jacket.

"I'm okay…" she told him, trying not to look him directly in the eye, "I just ate and… thought that I might go and rest for awhile."

She was avoiding his eyes, and he gazed down at her, trying to work out why. "Sherry… everything will be alright." He told her. "I know it doesn't seem like it right now, but you can't give up hope, we'll find a way to prove the truth." He tilted her chin up with one hand, forcing her to look into his eyes.

She looked into them, seeing the concern that was evident for her and for a moment she wavered. She couldn't… it wasn't fair, she couldn't…

With an unhappy sigh, she dropped her head and very slowly leaned forward so that her forehead touched his chest. She allowed herself to rest there for a few moments, breathing in deeply as he stared down at her, confused, his hand hovering above her hair as if he wanted to place it there. Before he could do so, she stepped back, and gave him a sad smile.

"You're the best friend that I've ever had." She told him, "I hope you know that." It was the closest she could come to telling him how she felt, anything more than that would be too much.

"Sherry, I…" he started to say, but she stepped back again.

"I'll just go and rest now," she told him, "I'm exhausted… I'll… I'll see you later."

He watched her go, a feeling of uneasiness gnawing at him.

There was something wrong… he knew there was.

/

She finished writing her note. She had written it in only one attempt, including everything that she thought needed to be said. The blame would be taken solely by her, they wouldn't be able to question it, she would be dead, that would be evidence enough for anyone.

Glancing down at the bottle on the bed beside her, she tried to imagine what it would be like.

It wouldn't hurt… it would be just as if she was going to sleep. She couldn't back out now, couldn't change her mind.

If she could save their lives by sacrificing hers then it was worth it. Her life meant nothing without them anyway, what would be the point in living if anything happened to one of them.

But still… she hesitated.

She didn't want to die.

/

It was only after he had gone to his office that Abhi realized why he felt so uneasy.

The way that Sherry had spoken to him, the way she had acted… it was as if she had been saying goodbye to him.

When he had spotted her, she had been coming from the direction of Dr. Shalini's office… but Dr. Shalini was with Raj and Naina, so what was Sherry…

Standing up so suddenly that his chair fell over, Abhi began to run.

He just prayed that he would be fast enough.

/

Sherry took a deep breath and thought of all the people she loved.

It was for them, she reminded herself. Sherry knew that they might feel guilty, but at least they would be safe… at least they would be alive.

One last time she imagined the faces of her friends, her Bhaiyya and Bhabhi, Abhi…

Last of all she thought of her father. She hoped he went to hell, honestly she did. She hoped that one day, no matter how long it took, somebody would bring him down.

She unscrewed the top of the bottle of pills and spilled them out into her hand, staring down at them.

She hoped that it wouldn't hurt.

It was as she raised her hand to her lips, preparing to swallow the pills that the door burst open, practically breaking off its hinges as Abhi hurtled into the room. She stared at him in shock, unable to move as he ran across the room, grabbing her hand and opening it forcefully so that the pills spilled out across the floor.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he asked, his hands hard upon her, shaking her, his voice panicked, not letting go of her wrist. "What the hell is this, Sherry?"

"How did you…" she asked him, "You weren't supposed to…"

"And if I hadn't figured it out? If you'd succeeded? If you'd died?" He yelled at her, now grasping by her shoulders, "How could you do this? Did you think that all the problems would've been solved if you'd died?"

"Yes!" she screamed back at him, almost crying now, "Yes they would've been! So what if I die? What difference does it make? Is the world going to be a worse place if it doesn't have me in it?"

"I feel like slapping you for being so stupid!" he yelled back, sounding enraged, the panic and fear he had felt on realizing the truth still apparent on his face. "How could you think of doing this to us? To your brother, to Naina, to me!"

"You don't know…" she told him, sobbing now, "You don't know what it was that she told me… that I would have to make a choice, that if I betrayed you then I could save Naina… I couldn't do it, I couldn't betray either of you, this was the best way, the only way…"

"No!" he told her forcefully, "This was not the best way, there's always another way, Sherry, always. What did you think, that I would be happy living my life after you died, that I would just go on living? Don't you know that I…" He gulped, unable to say it even now, but surely she must know… "Promise me that you'll never do this again." He pleaded with her, "Promise me."

"Why is it so important that I stay alive?" Sherry asked him, trying to stop herself from crying, "You have no idea what the truth is about me, what I really am, I don't deserve to be alive, I…"

"I don't give a damn what the truth is! Do you know what would've happened to me if I lost you? Don't you realize that I love you?" Abhi screamed, for once not stopping to realize what he was saying.

She broke down almost completely then, her face crumpling, her shoulders sagging under his grip. He pulled her to him, hugging her as she cried.

"Don't ever do this again, don't ever, ever do this again." Abhimanyu begged Sherry as he held her. "Promise me Sherry, promise me that you won't."

Suddenly she stopped crying, stepping back slightly Sherry looked up at him and raised her right hand to touch first his hair and then, very softly, his face. Standing on her toes, she leaned up and kissed his cheek, her lips brushing against the corner of his mouth.

"You love me?" she asked him. It was wrong of her… but it was the only way she could think of now.

"Yes…" It came out as a long exhale. "More than anything."

She took his hand and placed it on the top of her head. "If you love me… then promise me that you'll do whatever I ask you to," she told him, her eyes piercing his, "Swear that you'll do it and I promise I'll never try to kill myself ever again."

And despite the fact that his head was screaming at him not to do it, Abhi really had no choice but to agree.

/

They had been questioning Naina yet again, trying to find something wrong with her story, something to prove against her when an officer had suddenly come in, whispering something to the man doing the interrogation. Shortly after that they had all been excused, told to wait in one of the nearby rooms until they were called for again.

Shalini dozed off in a chair next to the small table, resting her head on one of her arms. Naina leaned her head on Raj's shoulder tiredly as he put his own arm around her shoulders.

"Will this be over soon?" she asked him, "Surely it has to end soon…"

"I'll get you out of here as soon as possible," He promised her, "Abhimanyu has already talked to Colonel Chandra, I think that we can prove our case. I won't let anything happen to you, Naina."

She looked up at him unblinkingly, "Raj… if we can't prove my innocence, if I'm imprisoned… then take our child and go somewhere else." She told him, "Don't let our child grow up with the stigma of having a traitor for a mother."

"Don't you dare even think that way," he told her, his voice shaking, "Nothing will happen to you, do you hear me? Nothing can happen to you!"

He hugged her to him, kissing the top of her head. He couldn't admit it in front of her, but even he was scared about what would happen. If they failed….

There was a knock at the door which startled Shalini who woke up, rubbing her eyes. Raj left his arm around Naina's shoulders, not caring who saw it.

The lead investigating officer walked in, his posture entirely different to what it had been before he left the interview room.

"Captain Shekawat, Mrs Shekawat… I'm very sorry about all the trouble caused to you, you're free to go." He told them, and they both stared at him.

"Free to go?" Raj asked, "You mean…"

"The charges against Mrs Shekawat have been dropped," The officer informed them, "The real spy has been caught."

Hearing the news, Naina half laughed and half cried, and Raj hugged her, unable to stop himself from crying a few tears of relief.

"Thank goodness," Shalini exclaimed, "Well if that's everything then we'll get back to the academy. After everything that you've been put through Naina, you need to have a proper rest and I want to give you a thorough check up."

They walked out of the room and headed towards the exit, still barely able to believe it.

"Abhi must have done something…" Raj said, "I don't know how… but he must have trapped her somehow."

The other two nodded, "We'll find out soon enough," Shalini told him, "Once we're back at the academy."

"Or perhaps even sooner…" Raj mused as he watched a secured army jeep approaching from the distance.

Abhimanyu climbed out from the back but instead of looking triumphant and happy, his face was fallen. He was somebody that wore his heart on his sleeve and right now he looked as if he'd been defeated.

He looked… guilty.

Raj frowned, he had expected Abhimanyu to be overjoyed, his normal happy, laughing self again.

"What is it, Chauhan?" Raj asked him, "Did something happen? Did she run away?"

"No…" Abhi told him, not quite meeting Raj's gaze. "No in fact she…" Suddenly he looked his friend directly in the face, "Raj this is going to be difficult, but you can't…"

He broke off, sounding frustrated, clenched his hand into a fist.

Raj just stared at him unable to work out exactly what was going on, when two guards climbed out of the back of the jeep before helping the other passenger out.

And when he saw who it was, Raj looked from her to Abhi and back again in confusion.

"Abhi, what is this?" Raj demanded of him, "What the hell is going on?"

But Abhimanyu was silent.

"Don't blame him, Bhaiyya…" Sherry spoke up, her face calm despite the handcuffs on her wrist. "Whatever has happened is my fault… Now I have to pay for my actions."

And as Raj, Naina and Shalini stared at her, unable to work out what was going on, she exchanged one last meaningful glance with Abhi, giving him a slight nod before she went inside.

As Naina watched her go, all of her earlier happiness evaporated.

It was perfectly clear to her now exactly what the price of her freedom was.


	48. Chapter 47

Chapter Forty Seven

"Abhi, what's going on?" Raj asked him in an angry whisper, "What does Sherry think that she's doing? How could you allow her to do this?"

"Raj… I had no choice," Abhi told him helplessly, "She gave me no choice at all and she…" he ended, punching the jeep with his fist in frustration and not even seeming to notice the pain.

"Abhimanyu… what happened?" Naina asked him gently, guessing what it was that he must be going through right now. "I know that there must be some reason… does she have a plan?"

"She had no plan at all…" Abhi bit out, the guilt clear in his eyes, "Her first plan was even worse than this one and if she had succeeded in that… believe me Naina, Raj… she gave me no choice, I couldn't do anything and she… she made me promise, kept my hand on her head and…" he looked like he was about to break down in tears he was so frustrated and Raj stared at him, realizing for the first time exactly how much Sherry actually meant to his friend.

"Captain Abhimanyu!" a voice called out and he turned around to face one of the investigating officers. "You need to complete some formalities as the arresting officer, if you'll just come with us to sign some of the forms and provide your statement…"

He walked off without looking either of them in the eyes.

"Arresting officer…" Raj said, looking at Naina.

"Don't be too hard on him." Naina replied softly, "I can't even imagine what he's going through right now after doing this, how difficult it would be for him when he loves her so much."

Shalini looked slightly startled when Naina said it so openly but Raj simply nodded. It confirmed what he had realized a minute ago seeing his friend's reactions. He couldn't believe that he hadn't worked it out before now.

"How long have you known for?" he asked Naina, as they walked back to the jeep they had come in, his hand on the small of her back as if to support her.

"Quite awhile now…" Naina admitted, "Neither of them ever said anything to me, I just guessed."

"I probably should've worked it out before now," Raj said with a sigh, "I never even considered it. Had you worked it out too, Shalini?"

"I had suspected…" Shalini replied, "But they both seemed to be dealing with it fairly well so I thought it was best not to interfere."

They travelled back to the academy in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Naina wished she could cry but she knew it wouldn't fix anything so she resisted. She could never have guessed that Sherry would do this for her, that she would take such an extreme step.

Once they arrived back, the cadets crowded around, wanting to know what had happened, but Shalini shooed them away, telling them that they could talk to Raj and Naina later because right now they both need to rest. Everybody left except Aalekh who stopped at a nod from Raj.

"What happened?" Raj asked him after they entered the room.

"I was in solitary confinement when it happened…" Aalekh told them, taking a seat next to Naina on the couch, "So I don't know everything. The day before, Sherry attacked Dr. Mishra and was sent to solitary… by the time that I was released she had already been arrested."

Raj nodded, slumping down in a chair with his head in his hands, "Then I suppose that we just need to wait for Abhi to arrive back to get our answers." Suddenly remembering the bug in the room he crossed over to where it was located, picking it up and angrily throwing it out the window. None of their caution or planning had done them any good, Ritu Misra had moved faster than they had and now she had them trapped. First he had been at risk of losing his wife… and now his sister.

As they waited for Abhi to return, Naina fell asleep, her head resting against the back of the couch. Raj made coffee for himself, Shalini and Aalekh to keep them awake, answering the door briefly to Suriji's quiet knock who had brought them some food and some lassi for Naina.

"If I hadn't gotten into trouble then I might have realized what she planned to do…" Aalekh commented, frustrated. "By the time they let me go she had already been taken into custody."

"It's not your fault, Aalekh." Raj told him, "I know my sister… if she wants to do something then nothing in the world can stop her or change her mind."

It made him wonder about what Abhi had said earlier… about her previous plan. What had she wanted to do that was so terrible that he had agreed to allow her to be arrested. The thought of it drained the colour out of Raj's face. She couldn't have been planning to…

A loud knock on the door startled Naina awake, and Raj opened it to see Abhi standing there, looking as guilt ridden as when he had left them. Raj was reminded of Naina's words from before, and when Abhi stepped inside, he pulled his friend into a tight hug. Too surprised to react for a moment, eventually Abhi hugged him back, and if Raj had doubted that his friend was in love with Sherry, then the look on his face certainly confirmed it.

"I swear that there was no other way…" Abhi told him, "She gave me no choice…"

"It's okay, we believe you." Raj reassured him, "But how did all this happen?"

Sitting with them, he explained how he had run into her in the hallway and her felt that something was wrong, how he had then suspected and rushed to her room. His expression became a bit glazed here and Raj suspected that he was leaving something out but didn't pursue it.

"She made me promise to do whatever she asked if I didn't want her to kill herself…" Abhi continued, "And like a fool I promised her. By the time I found out it was too late." He sighed, running a tired hand through his hair, "I've managed to convince our superiors that the triggers don't need to be moved, so at least Dr. Mishra can't carry out that part of the plan."

"If only we'd had more time…" Raj said regretfully, "We could've come up with something, found some way to change the situation but now…"

"Has anybody told Sherry's father yet?" Naina suddenly asked, "Perhaps he would do something for her…"

Raj was about to agree when Abhi shook his head. "She told me that she would prefer to rot in jail than have him get her out of trouble, she doesn't want him involved."

"I don't really care whether she wants it or not." Raj said angrily, "I'll get her out of trouble no matter what, and it's about time that Lala Saheb fulfilled his duties as a father."

Taking out his mobile he dialled the number, almost expecting the man not to pick up. He had been ignoring Raj's calls ever since Naina was arrested after all.

However Gehlot picked up on the second ring.

"Sir…" Raj started to say.

"I'm already on my way." Lala told him before cutting the call.

It appeared that whether Sherry wished him to or not, her father was already planning to help her.

/

Sherry lay back on the bed in her cell wondering what would happen next. There had been a brief interrogation where she had admitted to everything she had written in the earlier note. She had thought it out well, telling them how she had been able to hide the things in Raj and Naina's room since she was always visiting it, how she had robbed her brother of the security card at the party.

She told them that she had known she would never be suspected, and that it was only when somebody had gotten hurt that she was willing to admit it. That she had done all of this to get back at her father and had fallen in with an anti-national group.

She had been so convincing that she had almost convinced herself that it was the truth. There was no way that they could doubt her after all the details that she had given them, and now she just had to wait and see what would happen to her.

There would be a trial of course… to her it seemed like poetic justice. What her father had subjected Navin to, his own daughter would now go through.

She hoped it ruined him, she hoped that his reputation would be shot to shreds and that his career would never recover.

She hoped he would feel just a little of the pain he had caused to so many others.

Sherry's thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of a guard who opened the cell door.

"You have a visitor, Ms Gehlot." He informed her.

"I don't wish to see anyone." She replied. If it was Raj, Naina or Abhi, then seeing them would just make it so much harder.

"I'm afraid that you don't have a choice," the guard told her, "I've been ordered to escort you to the visiting room now."

She was escorted to a small windowless room with dim lights. Stepping in she blinked slightly, trying to see who awaited her. Sherry smirked as she finally recognized her visitor.

"How nice to see you here, father," Sherry told him, "I wish I could offer you something to eat or drink… but as you can see, I'm in prison."

"You're really enjoying this, aren't you?" he commented, his anger barely contained, "I can't believe how irresponsible you could be… what sort of a stupid stunt is this?"

"If you'd listened to me and helped Naina then I wouldn't have had to do this," she retorted, "Now deal with it. I hope that every single news channel reports on it, I hope that within twenty four hours every citizen knows that your daughter is a traitor. I might not be able to get you punished… but I can at least try to ruin your career."

He considered her carefully for a moment, and then he laughed, shaking his head at her. "Did you really think it would be so easy, Sherry?" he asked her, "Did you really think that you could challenge me like this and win? It was a good attempt… but it won't be successful."

"Oh really?" she asked him, her eyebrows raised. "I've already been arrested, what can you possibly do to fix things now?"

"Don't be so naïve," he scoffed, "If I'm capable of ruining people then I'm capable of saving them too. The real spy will be found and it will be announced that this was a covert operation by yourself and Captain Abhimanyu to unmask them."

"And who will the real spy be? Some other poor soul that you manage to trap?" Sherry asked him bitterly.

"The spy is about to be arrested as we speak… Dr. Mishra… what a surprise." He commented with an almost bored expression.

"And she'll just let you arrest her?" Sherry asked, disbelief written on her face.

"She'll do whatever she's told to." Gehlot replied harshly. "She had her chance and she messed it up. She no longer has any value to me, she'll serve her purpose in this way by fixing your mistake."

"Aren't you afraid that she'll betray you?" Sherry asked him, "Don't think that she'll keep her loyalty when her own head is on the chopping block…"

"It will never reach the trial stage," Gehlot commented with a bored expression, "Before that there will be an accident… and no more Dr. Mishra."

"You're the most evil man that I've ever met," Sherry told him, completely disgusted, "I wish I could spit on you, I wish I'd been born to a family living in a shack with a dirt floor instead of to you."

"Well unfortunately for you, you are my daughter and from now on you'll have to behave yourself." Gehlot told her, "I won't tolerate any more of these stunts… I should never have sent you to KMA in the first place, it's been a bad influence."

"And what makes you think that I'll listen to you?" Sherry asked him, "That I'll obey whatever you say?"

"You'll do it if you want your precious Bhaiyya and Bhabhi to have a happy and peaceful life." He stated, his trademark smirk back on his face. "Stop causing me trouble and I'll ensure that nobody causes them any either."

"And how do I know that I can trust you?"

"You'll have to, you don't have any other choice."

"And what would I have to do to win your approval?" she asked him, "What would I have to do to make sure that you stay away from them?"

"Quit KMA… settle down, get married and lead a respectable life. Never trouble me again or cause me any dishonour." He looked at her, his gaze suddenly sharp and calculating. "Perhaps Captain Abhimanyu would be a good match for you… I've heard that you two are quite attached to each other."

Sherry clenched her fist, the nails painfully digging into her palm. "Stay away from him." She hissed at her father, "Never, ever suggest it again."

"What a pity, and here I had thought that I could do something for my daughter." He mocked her, his lips once again curving upwards in a cruel smile. "So do we have a deal?"

"On one condition…" she told him, "When Dr. Mishra is arrested she also admits that she was the one that trapped Navin… he should be proven innocent. Then as long as you stay away from those I care about, I'll do whatever you ask."

"Good girl." Gehlot raised an eyebrow in mocking appreciation, "I knew that you'd come around to my way of thinking… we'll have you released within a couple of hours."

/

The cadets were all crowded into Raj and Naina's room, discussing plans and discarding them, everybody trying to think of some way to solve the current problem.

"We could just go and threaten to kill her," Aalekh suggested, "See if she confesses then."

"Cut off her signal!" Pooja agreed, "She deserves it!"

It was then that Raj's phone rang and getting up to answer it, he carried out a hushed conversation away from them, his expressions rapidly changing. He hung up the phone and turned back to them, seeing the looks of expectations on their faces.

"Apparently… Sherry and Abhimanyu's plan worked perfectly and Dr. Mishra was caught red handed while fleeing." He announced, "She's been taken into custody and has admitted everything… even trapping Navin."

Huda let out a whoop of joy at this, picking up Yudi and then dancing with him, Pooja hugged Ali, planting a kiss on his cheek, and Aalekh wiped away a relieved tear. Naina half laughed and half cried, getting up to hug Raj who kissed her cheek, whispering that it would all be fine now.

Abhi was the only one who stood there stunned, unable to react. He didn't know why but he just felt that it had been all too easy… looking over at Raj, he exchanged a glance with him, and saw that Raj had the same expression on his face. They both knew that there had never been a plan… that there was no reason for Dr. Mishra to admit to anything.

He was relieved that Sherry was finally free and out of danger but somehow he couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was a catch, that there must be some price to pay for it.

"And Sherry?" he asked Raj, "Has she been released?"

"Colonel Chandra says that she should be on her way here now," Raj informed them all, "She'll be back with us any minute."

"Then let's all go and wait for her incoming!" Pooja announced excitedly, grabbing Ali's hand and running out of the room and towards the entrance of the academy.

The rest of them followed, and sure enough within five minutes a car was spotted pulling into the academy driveway.

The moment that she stepped out, Sherry was enveloped by her friends. Huda and Ali lifted her up on their shoulders, carrying her around and cheering while Yudi and Pooja danced around and Aalekh just smiled. None of them noticed her father step out from the other side of the car.

"You're our real heroine, Sheru." Huda told her when they had finally put her down. "You and Abhimanyu Sir must have made a solid plan to be able to trap Dr. Mishra."

"Yes… it was a very solid plan." Sherry agreed, her expression revealing nothing as she went forward to greet Raj and Naina.

They both hugged her tightly, Naina refusing to let go of her. "I can't believe that you did this for me," Naina told her, "You shouldn't have done it, if anything had happened to you then what would we have done? How could we have lived?"

"It was worth it, Bhabhi," Sherry told her emotionally, "Anything for you and Bhaiyya… you know that you two are my family."

"This calls for a party!" Yudi announced then, "There's only three days left until our holidays and I'm sure that BC can't object… after all, the spy has finally been caught!"

"Yes… a party." Sherry agreed, turning around. "It will have to be a farewell party for me."

Her friends immediately stopped celebrating and turned around to face her, Raj and Naina looking at her questioningly while Abhimanyu took a step forward as if he wanted to say something.

"Yes, I think that this past semester has been quite enough excitement for Sherry." Gehlot told them, walking forward so that he stood just behind her. Naina couldn't help noticing that she seemed to flinch away from him. "I sent her here to reform her and I can see that I've succeeded in that. It's time she returned home now."

"But Sir, I don't think you should remove Sherry from the academy." Raj told him with a frown, "She's one of the best cadets here and she's proved it by helping to trap a spy. She's happy here with her friends, and Naina and I… I thought we had discussed…."

"It's okay, Bhaiyya." Sherry told him quietly, "Father is right, it's time that I went home. The two of us need to repair our relationship and I've never really been cut out for the army anyway…"

Abhi tried to catch her eye, unable to guess what was going on, but she steadfastly refused to look at him.

"Well now that that's all sorted out, why don't we all go inside. You can have your party and then we'll go home." Gehlot suggested smoothly, placing his hand on Sherry's back to guide her inside. To anyone else it would've looked like an affectionate fatherly gesture but Abhi noticed her flinch from him.

Raj watched them go, trying to decide what it was that he should be feeling. They had won… they had just achieved everything that he ever could have wished for.

So why did it feel like a defeat rather than a victory?


	49. Chapter 48

Chapter Forty Eight

The party was more subdued than it would've otherwise been due to the news of Sherry leaving. As soon as Gehlot had announced that she was going with him the entire mood had changed from one of celebration to almost depression.

"I don't know why you're all sitting there looking like somebody just died." Sherry announced, unable to bear it anymore as they sat in the mess eating the food that Suriji had prepared. "I'm about to go back to a life of luxury, not to some war. If you don't remember, I was sent here for punishment… that punishment is now over." She avoided looking at Abhi, Raj or Naina as she said it, knowing that they would see through it. Her eyes briefly caught Aalekh's and she saw the understanding in them, he knew exactly what it was that she was feeling right now.

"But just when your signal was working properly with KMA you're about to go out of network," Pooja protested.

"You're one of the best cadets in our year… much better than I am." Yudi told her, "I thought you'd decided that you wanted to be a part of the army."

"Yeah well… plans change." Sherry said with a shrug, "As Pooja would say, perhaps my 'lifetime connection' is meant to be somewhere else."

"We could talk to your father about this," Naina told her, reaching out to take her hand, "I want you here with Raj and I, I want us to be a family together. Even if you're fine with leaving, Sherry… I don't want to see you go."

"Exactly," Raj agreed, "I'll talk to Lala Saheb about it, even if he wants to take you home early before the holidays he should let you come back and finish your time at KMA. With the bravery you've shown, I know you can be an excellent soldier in future."

Tears came to her eyes at her brother's words, at the pride in his voice, but she blinked them away.

"Bhaiyya I wasn't meant to be a soldier…" she told him, trying to sound convincing. "I'll settle down… lead a quiet life… if I get bored then I can always dye my hair another colour."

Abhimanyu stayed silent throughout this; there were so many things he needed to say to her, to ask her, but how could he speak to her with everybody there? They were things that he couldn't say in front of the others. More than anybody else there, he knew how much she hated her father, how she had begun to love the army, how she felt… how he believed that she felt about him. Then why was she prepared to let her father make this decision without any protest? Why would she let him just take her away from those she loved when she had fought so hard to save them?

She looked up briefly meeting his eyes and he saw the deep regret in them before she looked away. She was preparing to give him up, he realised, and the thought terrified him.

"Sherry, could I…" he began to say when Ghelot walked back into the room, after having finished his chat with Brigadier Chandook.

"Well I think it's just about time that Sherry and I go," he announced, "Thank you all so much for looking after my daughter and guiding her, now it's time for her to be back where she belongs."

"But Sherry belongs here, Sir." Huda protested, "She's one of the best cadets in our class."

"Please consider our request and allow her to stay, Sir." Ali asked him politely.

The rest of them added their pleas but Gehlot made a sign with his hand and Sherry stood up.

"Well it's time for me to go, guys." She told them, hugging them all one by one, before she turned to Naina and Raj.

"Why are you doing this?" Naina whispered to her, as she hugged her tightly, "Give me some type of a sign."

"This is for the best Bhabhi…" Sherry told her, "You and Bhaiyya will have a happy life together, and it's not like you'll never see me again… we'll see each other."

"I'll keep trying to convince him," Raj promised her as he hugged her, "I won't give up until we have you back with us again."

"I love you, Bhaiyya," she told him, kissing him on the cheek, "Look after Bhabhi well, I don't want to hear that she's been upset or stressed."

Abhi stood there awkwardly unsure of how to bid farewell to her and at last she stretched out her hand, taking his in it and holding it briefly. "Take care of yourself." She told him, her eyes full of all that had been left unsaid.

And then her fingers slipped out of his grasp and she was gone.

/

A week later the holidays had begun and everyone had left to visit their families. The mood was still subdued and the topic of conversation hadn't varied much before the holidays, all that the cadets seemed able to discuss was Dr. Ritu being proven to be the spy and Sherry's subsequent departure.

Since she had left, Raj and Naina had spoken to her on the phone once. She had reassured them that she was happy to be back home and getting on well with her father. Every time after that when they had called they were told that she was either out or busy and would call them back, but she never did.

Now on the third day of holidays, Naina, Raj and Aalekh were all at Naina's mother's house. Mrs Ahluwalia had been fussing over all of them non-stop since they had arrived. Naina had almost cried seeing her mother again, so much had happened since the last time they had seen each other at Diwali that it seemed unbelievable. They had sat around the kitchen table and told the whole story of what had happened and how Navin had finally been proven innocent with Dr. Mishra's arrest. Mrs Ahluwalia had broken down at this point, grateful tears pouring down her cheeks as Naina hugged her.

"I knew you would fulfil your promise one day," she told Raj, "The day that you came to our house and told us everything… I knew that one day you would finally prove him innocent."

Raj couldn't help thinking how much sorrow they had all gone through to get to this point, how much Naina in particular had been through. His best friend's innocence had been proven but somehow he didn't feel as if the fight was over. Dr. Mishra had been the spy in KMA, but who had been controlling her, giving her orders? He had requested permission to interrogate her but so far it hadn't been granted. If he could just speak to her once then perhaps she would tell him who it had been that had set up Navin in the first place. He knew that in this game she was just a pawn… the real power had yet to be exposed.

After looking around the house for Naina he found her outside in the back garden on the swing, a shawl draped around her shoulders, gazing into the distance. Coming up behind her, he wrapped his arms around her and hugged her, bringing her arms up, she placed her hands on top of his, leaning back into his warmth.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, "You've been quiet… I know that you're worried, I'm worried too, but she made me promise that I'd always keep you happy."

"I was just thinking how much she would've liked being here, Ma would've absolutely spoiled her." Naina said with a small smile, "She misses her own mother so much, it would've been good for her to spend some time with mine."

"I'll try calling again this afternoon," Raj replied, sitting down on the swing beside Naina, one arm still draped around her shoulders. "If there's no reply then I'll tell them that I'm coming to check on her."

Naina nodded, and they sat in silence for awhile. They were now at a point in their relationship when they didn't need to constantly be talking, they could sit with each other comfortably without saying a thing and still have that sense of understanding and companionship.

"Where's Aalekh?" Naina asked Raj, "Is he with Ma?"

"They're making lunch in the kitchen," Raj told her with a smile, "I think your mother is very impressed by Aalekh's cooking skills."

Naina smiled at this, at least they had managed to give Aalekh some happiness. "Let's go in and check on them." She suggested.

They had just entered the house and were heading towards the kitchen when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it." Raj called out to let Naina's mother know that it was under control. As far as he knew they weren't expecting anybody but it could always be one of Mrs Ahluwalia's friends.

However when he opened the door it was to see a very familiar face standing there as his best friend stood on the doorstep, hair neatly pulled back, but looking utterly miserable.

"Abhi, what are you doing here?" Raj asked him, "I thought you were going home for the holidays?"

"I did…" Abhi admitted, "But I had to come and talk to you, I can't stand it Raj, I've tried… but I just can't sit at home while…" He sighed in frustration, and taking him by the arm, Raj guided him inside.

Naina smiled welcomingly when she saw who their visitor was, and her mother walked out of the kitchen, dusting her hands on her apron to check who it is.

"Ma, this is Abhimanyu, he was one of Navin Bhaiyya's best friends." Naina introduced them, and Abhi greeted Naina's mother respectfully before touching her feet.

"Bless you, son." She welcomed him, "It's wonderful to finally meet you, Naina and Raj have told me so much about you."

"Thank you Aunty," he told her, "I wish I'd come to visit you a long time ago, in fact I'm ashamed that I didn't."

"It's alright, Beta." She told him, "The circumstances were such that… well never mind, there's no point in talking about these things anymore. The past is in the past and we shouldn't bring up sorrow when there's so much joy expected."

She smiled at Naina as she said it, obviously looking forward to the arrival of her first grandchild.

Looking at the two men standing there, Abhimanyu somewhat awkwardly, Naina guessed exactly what was going on and decided to go take charge. "Ma… I'll come and help you and Aalekh and make some tea as well." Naina told her, "Raj, why don't you take Abhimanyu out to sit in the garden?"

She thought she knew what it was that he had come to talk about and thought that it would be easier for him if he could speak with Raj privately. Giving Raj a meaningful look, she walked into the kitchen and the two men headed towards the back garden together where they sat down at a small table.

"I thought you were going home to see your family for the holidays?" Raj asked Abhimanyu, unsure of exactly how to start the conversation.

"I did go home…" Abhi replied, still looking just as miserable, "I couldn't stay there… not while… my friend, you don't know the half of it." He finished off, clearly frustrated.

"I know what it is you've come to talk to me about," Raj said cautiously, not wanting to rush him into it. "Even I can't understand her decision to go there, she and her father have never gotten on well together, and she was so happy when I had asked her to stay with us…"

"Oh it's not just that," Abhi said, anger coming into his voice now as he clenched his fist, "You have no idea what that man has done to her, how much he affects her. She never told you, didn't want to worry you, but I've seen… and I can't see her in that much pain, I can't."

"Tell me." Raj commanded him, because no matter what it was that Sherry wanted, enough was enough, it was time for him to know the truth.

And so Abhimanyu told him about how he had found her at Republic Day, broken and sobbing, about the hints she had given him about exactly how unhappy she had been.

"And now… she won't even talk to me, I've tried calling, and I'm always told she's not available. I can't do this Raj," he told his friend desperately, "If I knew she was happy then maybe I could let her go, but I can't just forget her, not when…"

"When you love her." Raj finished softly, giving his friend a gentle smile.

Abhi didn't even try to deny it, he just nodded, combing a hand through his hair to push it back in a gesture of frustration.

"I know that perhaps I shouldn't have… she was my student and your sister too, believe me when I say that I never meant to fall in love with her, that I never did anything…"

Raj held up one hand to stop his friend, who was now practically babbling. "It's alright Abhi, I know and I understand." Raj told him, "In many ways she needed you, and I would be happiest of all if you two were to end up together."

Abhi's shoulders sagged with relief and Raj reached forward to hug him.

"So what should I do now?" Abhimanyu asked him, "I can't just leave her in that situation, I want to know why she agreed in the first place to go back with her father."

"I was planning to visit her at the end of this week," Raj revealed, "But after what you've told me I don't think we should delay it anymore. If you go to see her then perhaps she'll be more willing to talk to you."

"I'll go right now," Abhimanyu seemed relieved to finally have a plan of action, "And I promise Raj… I'm not leaving that place until I find out exactly what's wrong."

Raj nodded, "But I think you should wait until after lunch to go." He told Abhi, "I've learned that pregnant women can have dangerous mood swings and Naina is going to be very upset if you don't at least eat something on your first visit to the house."

As they entered the house ,Raj nodded at her as if to tell her that it had been sorted out and she smiled at him, glad that at least something had gone right.

With any luck, the missing member of their family would soon be home.

/

The next morning around ten am, Abhimanyu paused outside Lalasaheb's mansion, nervous at what he was about to do. He couldn't lose her, he had made his decision, he would do anything it took to get her back.

After informing the guard of who he was and who he had come to visit he was let inside the grounds, and entering the house he looked around hoping to see her but instead saw the man he would prefer never to see again in his entire life.

"Captain Abhimanyu, how nice of you to pay us a visit." Gehlot told him with a smile, "Are you here on official business?"

"Actually no, Sir." Abhi admitted, "I've come to see Sherry, none of us have heard from her since she left the academy and Raj had agreed it would be a good idea to come and visit her to see if either of you had reconsidered your decision."

"Why don't you come and sit with me in my study," Gehlot asked him, trying to calculate what it was that Abhimanyu was actually there for. If the man suspected him then he could be dangerous indeed. "Unfortunately, Sherry isn't at home right now but hopefully I can reassure you of her wellbeing."

"Sir… all of us would like Sherry to come back to the academy." Abhimanyu continued when they were seated. "She was happy there, and I honestly feel that she will make an excellent soldier."

"Unfortunately that's no longer possible." Gehlot told him, "Sherry has a different destiny to the army, and she's already on her way to fulfilling it. She'll be getting engaged in a few months, and married not long after that."

The shock hit Abhi like a punch in the face. Was this why she wasn't talking to him, to try to make a clean break? Was this why it had seemed like she was letting him go when she said goodbye?

"Engaged? But so suddenly…"

"Actually I feel it's time that she settles down," Gehlot confided, with an affectionate fatherly tone he had worked hard to perfect. "And even Sherry agrees, she's had a wild youth and now she wants a quiet life."

"But Sir…" Abhi struggled with what he had to say next, he hadn't thought that he would have to face this when he came here today. "Who will she be getting engaged to?"

"The son of one of my friends… the boy is quite talented, I expect that he will go far within the party." Gehlot replied with an almost bored expression. "They've already met and approved of each other."

"Sir… I'm sure that Sherry can't be happy with this match." Abhi protested, "Even if she has said yes, I know she won't be happy."

"Well who are you suggesting I get her married to then?" Gehlot asked with a raised eyebrow.

"To me." Abhimanyu told him, almost shocked at himself for saying it so boldly. "I know I would be able to keep her happy. I understand her Sir… we understand each other. I would like you to consider my proposal." He took a deep breath, hoping that the man would at least listen.

"I already had considered it." Gehlot informed him, "In fact I even suggested you as a potential husband to Sherry. She was the one who refused the idea."

Abhi was knocked back by this knowledge. Why had she refused? He knew that she loved him too… she hadn't said it, but everything that she had ever said and done had proven it. He didn't need the words to know.

"Did she say why she refused?" he asked, trying to hide the worry that was rising inside of him.

"No she didn't… but she made it quite clear that I shouldn't suggest your name again." Gehlot told him, trying not to look amused by how heartbroken the young man in front of him looked.

"Can I speak to her?" Abhi finally asked after a long silence, "I'd like to ask her for myself how she is."

"You would have to wait for a long time," Gehlot informed him, "She's gone out and I doubt she'll be back before evening."

Abhi didn't doubt for one moment that the man would go to any lengths to stop his daughter talking to anybody.

"Then if you could tell her that I visited and that I would like to talk to her, I would appreciate it." He told Gehlot, getting up to leave.

"Of course I'll tell her, I'm sorry you had to come this far without seeing her." Gehlot replied, his tone sympathetic, "I'll try to make sure that she calls you."

Saying goodbye to him, Abhimanyu left, not looking behind him as he did. It was only when he reached the gate that he paused to talk to one of the guards.

"I want to know where Miss Gehlot is…" he told the man quietly, "Name your price and I'll pay it."

/

Ignoring the man keeping a watchful eye on her, Sherry jogged around the track, trying to release her frustrations through her feet pounding on the hard ground below her. It didn't matter what she did from now on, her life was already ruined and she had no hopes of it improving. One of the only things stopping her from considering simply ending it all was the promise she had made to Abhimanyu… he had upheld his end of the bargain and now she had to uphold hers.

Meeting her future husband had been exactly how she had imagined it to be. He was one of those spoiled brat politician's sons and she had sat there in the stupid salwar kameez her father had made her wear and refused to answer any questions or pour tea. It was about as much defiance as she was able to have these days.

As she continued jogging she glanced around to check whether the security man was still watching her, only to see somebody talking to him. It looked like… her heart skipped a beat at the thought, but it couldn't be him. He wouldn't have come all this way, she was just imagining it. As she watched, the man handed something to the guard, who began to walk away, and she knew she had been right.

Sherry slowed down and began to jog back over to where he was, even as he jumped over the fence and also jogged towards her. She could barely believe it, it was actually him. She ached to simply run to him and throw her arms around him, tell him she loved him and ask him to take her away from here.

But she had chosen this life for herself… and no matter how much she hated it, she had to live with it now. She slowed down…. Abhi continued running.

"Sherry…" he breathed hard as he finally stood in front of her, "Thank goodness I finally managed to see you. I've been trying to call, I went to your house…"

"You shouldn't have." Sherry told him, her tone serious, "I would prefer it if you didn't go there, if you didn't get involved in this. I would prefer you to stay…" she wanted to say safe, she thought it would be best if she said away, in the end she said nothing.

"Why Sherry?" he asked her, "Why are you doing this? What is it exactly that he holds over your head to make you agree to ruin your own life?"

Sherry stepped back slightly, not sure what to do when he had said it so plainly. "And who says that I'm ruining my life?" she asked, "And anyway, it's my life to choose to ruin if I am doing so."

"You can't tell me that you're happy to be marrying the son of one of your father's friends." Abhi told her, a tone of disgust in his voice. "I know how you've always felt about that…"

"I will marry him." Sherry said with determination in her voice, "And I'll probably stab him with a pair of scissors eventually if not on the wedding night itself… but I'll marry him."

"Why?" he asked her, grabbing her by the shoulders almost roughly, the hurt shining in his eyes. "Even if you're willing to ruin your own life, do you realise that you're ruining mine as well? Do you know what it would do to me to have you marry someone else?"

Sherry shrugged out of his grasp, half turning away. "I'm not ruining your life," she told him, "I know that… that you love me. But this is best for both of us, if you married me then…"

"What gives you the right to make that decision alone?" Abhi asked angrily, turning her back to face him once again, "What is it that you've hidden from me all this time? What is it that stops you from allowing yourself to be happy? Don't you know I'd do anything to make you happy?"

"I know you would," Sherry told him softly, "But I would also do anything to protect you… even if it means giving you up."

"I don't want to be protected," Abhi replied stubbornly, "Don't you think I have the right to make up my own mind about this? Whatever it is, it won't make me change my decision."

"You were the one who first told me that it shouldn't happen," Sherry informed him with a sad smile, "And I agree."

"I've never told you anything like that!" Abhi protested, "What are you talking about? Unless you tell me the truth right now, I swear I'm taking you away from here by force."

"Fine," she gave in with a sigh, "Do you remember that I had asked you a question once about whether you would've married Naina if you were in my brother's place?"

"Of course I do," he replied, "But what does that have to do with this?"

It was her silence which told him the answer as she stood there simply looking at him, and as realisation hit Abhimanyu he felt the bottom fall out of his world.

"You're serious?" he asked her, "Your father…"

"Is a damn traitor." Sherry told him, spitting the word out. "Do you want to know who's responsible for all this? Do you want to know who trapped Navin? Who tried to get the nuclear triggers stolen? My father."

"You never said a word… All of these years…"

"All of these years I've hidden it," she told him, "Because I was scared of what he would do… of who he would harm if I told someone. I couldn't lose Raj and Naina... I couldn't lose you. So I made a deal with him."

"You sold your happiness for ours." Abhi stated simply, taking one step forward towards her.

"I don't know if that's the right way to say it… but yes." She admitted, "I want you to be happy, I want you to be safe… you can't be those things if you're with me."

"Do you think that I'll be happy away from you, knowing how miserable you are?" Abhi asked her. "Do you think I'll simply forget you, that Naina and Raj and all your friends would too? When you asked me about Naina that was a completely different case, try to understand. I didn't know Naina, I would've been marrying a stranger. But you… I love you, I would do anything for you. I don't care if the world thinks of you as a traitor's daughter, I don't care what happens, I won't love you any less."

"But I can't do this to you." Sherry told him, "I can't ruin your life this way because trust me, he'll find some way to use you in his dirty work, I won't expose you to that."

"I won't let you do this to yourself," he reached out and took her hands, pulling her closer to him. "I don't care what the consequences are, I'm not going to give up."

"If you love me then you will," Sherry pleaded with him, "Please go… it's not easy for me to refuse you and I'm worried that my resolve might end up breaking."

"You've endured all this alone for so long already, for so many years you've had to deal with this by yourself. Not anymore." Abhi told her, and reaching down he put his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him. She was so small against him that she seemed almost fragile, and when he leaned back slightly to look down at her face, placing his hands to either side of it to touch her cheeks, it seemed natural that he should lean down to kiss her.

And so he did, hesitantly at first, his lips barely brushing hers as he leaned down. When she brought her hands up to place them on his arms, he leaned down again to kiss her properly this time, and it was as bittersweet as she was, both an answer and a question. She sighed as he pulled away, her eyes closed, a tear escaping from the corner of one eye. He brushed it away with his thumb, and leaned his forehead against hers, closing his eyes too as he thought about what lay ahead.

"I'm leaving now." He told her, "But I'm coming back for you, so stay safe until then and wait for me."

"Abhi, you know that…"

"I don't know anything," he said stubbornly, "Except that when I return, you had better be ready to go with me."

Leaning down he kissed her again one last time, barely able to pull himself away.

He walked back to his car, glancing behind him as he went to see her still standing there, staring after him. Finding the guard at a nearby chai stall he gave him some more money, telling him that he could go back now.

Finally after months of wondering, he knew what it was that had tortured Sherry for so long, what had made her so unhappy. She had already suffered enough, and he wasn't going to allow it to continue.

He knew exactly what he had to do and who it was who could convince her.

Stepping on the accelerator, he began to head back towards Naina's mother's house.


	50. Chapter 49

Chapter Forty Nine

It was evening by the time they heard the knock at the door, Raj starting up from the couch where he had been sitting with Naina and Aalekh. Since Abhimanyu had called that morning to tell them he would be returning they had heard nothing more. The wait had been torturous and all of them were on edge, attempting to pass the time and keep themselves distracted.

Before Abhimanyu could knock again, Raj had already opened the door, pulling him inside before his friend could say a word.

Exhaustion was clearly written on Abhimanyu's face, he had barely slept for the past two days and Raj frowned with worry as soon as he saw him.

"Come and sit down." Raj told him even as Abhi began to try to speak, "You're not going to be able to tell me what has happened if you collapse at the doorway."

Abhimanyu allowed himself to be led inside to the living room, Naina and Aalekh had both stood up at the sound of his knock and he gave them a tired smile of greeting before half collapsing on the couch. For a few minutes he simply sat there, attempting to gather his thoughts as the others waited in silence. It was when Naina's mother placed a cup of chai in front of him that he finally moved, gripping it with slightly shaking hands.

"Did you manage to see her?" Naina finally asked, unable to wait any longer, "Is she alright?"

"I did," Abhi replied shortly, "And no… no she's not alright. She hasn't been alright for quite a long time now." He looked around at all of them, trying to work out how to tell them. The effect that such a betrayal would have on them and Raj especially…

"Take your time," Raj told him, reaching out to grip his friend's shoulder, "But whatever it is, it's time that the truth finally came to life."

"You're right, the truth should've come out a long time ago." Abhi agreed, his voice suddenly steely. "But I don't know how to tell you, how to…"

"Nothing has happened to her, has it?" Raj asked, suddenly terrified by how long Abhi was taking to tell them.

"Physically she's fine… but she's suffered so much over the years, always keeping it hidden inside herself. She never told any of us because she was afraid for us, afraid that…" He passed a hand tiredly over his face, trying to work out how to say the words that would change everything. "She's kept it a secret all this time because she's afraid of what he'll do to us if we find out, of what he'll do if she disobeys him. He's threatened her… threatened to take revenge on those she loves."

"Threatened to harm us? Who?" Raj asked him, desperately hoping that Abhimanyu wasn't saying what he thought he was saying, "Abhi, tell me exactly what you mean."

"We always wondered why she was so hostile at the beginning, so angry… she did it to keep everybody away from her, to ensure that nobody could be used against her." Abhi didn't miss the slight nod that Aalekh gave at this statement as if he had guessed it much before. "Because ever since she found out the truth about her father, she has also known exactly what he'll be willing to do to guarantee her silence."

"Tell us in plain words, Abhi." Raj said, desperate to finally know once and for all, "What is the truth?"

"The man that we had all assumed to be a loyal servant of our country is really a damn traitor." Abhi spat out, "Navin's entrapment and death, the plan to steal the triggers, he's behind all of it. He's willing to sell his country, even those he calls family, for power and money."

There was a deathly silence as the news sank in. Raj felt as if his world had dropped out from under him, he had loved Lala Saheb like a father, trusted and respected him more than anyone else and all this time… That man had not only killed his best friend, but had also betrayed their country, and to have been torturing his daughter in this way for such a long time… He glanced across at Naina who sat ashen faced beside him on the couch, as if all the colour had been drained from her. Forcing himself to put his anger at Gehlot aside, he reached out to take her hand.

"He…" Naina said, unable to even finish one sentence in her current state of shock. He had put his hand above her head, blessed her. The very thought made her feel sick to her stomach. "And all this time, Sherry…"

"She made a deal with him that she would do whatever he asked if he stayed away from us." Abhi revealed, "But I can't leave her there, Raj. I won't."

"No." Raj agreed, "We won't leave her there any longer, enough is enough."

He looked at Naina searchingly, hoping that she would understand. He had responsibilities to her and to their unborn child and he knew that what he was about to do was dangerous. It wasn't possible to challenge a man as powerful as Gehlot without risk and it was possible he wouldn't even come back alive. However he also had responsibilities as a brother and he wouldn't abandon his little sister to a life of torment simply to keep himself safe. For far too long she had shielded him, it was time that he fulfilled his duties.

Seeing the emotions pass over her husband's face, Naina understood perfectly how conflicted he was. No matter how scared she was of losing him, she had to be strong for him rather than becoming his weakness.

"Bring her back to us," Naina told him, "To where she belongs." Sitting to the other side of her, Naina's mother nodded her agreement.

Abhimanyu drained his cup of chai and stood up as if to go but taking his wrist, Raj pulled him back down.

"We're not going anywhere right now," He informed his friend, "We need to go in there with clear heads, with our full wits about us. For that you need rest, we'll leave first thing in the morning."

Abhi hesitated, unwilling to leave her there for one moment longer than necessary but finally he nodded, knowing that Raj was right.

None of them knew what tomorrow might bring, but whatever lay in front of them they were willing to face the challenge.

/

Naina woke early to find Raj already up and preparing for the day ahead. As sunlight began to filter into the room she watched him open his bag and take out his gun, loading bullets and checking it.

She tried to control her fear as she watched him tuck the gun into the back of his pants. If she was honest then she was terrified that something might happen to him, Abhi or Sherry today. Glancing towards her, Raj noticed that she was awake and watching him with wide eyes.

"You weren't going to leave without saying goodbye were you?" she asked him quietly, getting up from the bed.

He shook his head in reply and crossing the room towards her, put his arms around Naina. She hugged him back fiercely, dreading the moment when she would have to let go.

"Life keeps doing this to us, doesn't it Naina?" Raj asked, a wry smile on his face. "Hopefully this will be the last test."

"Stay safe and bring her back safely." Naina told him, "We'll all be waiting for you, I know you'll be successful."

Raj nodded, cupping her face with his hands he leaned down to kiss her lingeringly, before touching his forehead to hers.

"We'll all be back as soon as possible." He told her, "Safe and sound, but if anything should happen to me then…"

"Don't even say it," Naina told him, "Nothing will happen to you."

"No, I need to say this." Raj told her, "I have a will… everything has been left to you, it's in the cupboard in our room at KMA. If something were to happen then I don't want you to give up, live your life to the fullest, be happy and bring our child up well."

Naina nodded even as tears welled up in her eyes, "Nothing will happen to you." She repeated once again, "Life can't be that unfair."

He kissed her one more time before taking her hand and leading her outside to where Abhimanyu was already dressed and waiting, pacing back and forth while Aalekh watched him.

"Sir… I want to come with you." Aalekh told Raj, "I want to help."

"Naina… do you still have Navin's old gun?" Raj asked and nodding in affirmative she opened the locked cupboard they had stored it in, taking it out and giving it to him.

Gazing down at it for a moment, Raj gestured for Aalekh to come forward, handing the gun to him.

"You're not coming with us but you have another duty." He told Aalekh, "I hope you won't need to use this, but if you do then you know what you have to do. If you don't hear from us by five pm then take Naina and her mother somewhere safe."

"I'll protect them, Sir." Aalekh promised him, "You don't need to worry about their safety."

"Thank you," Raj told him earnestly, feeling relieved that there was somebody he could trust with their protection.

They all walked outside together, and after saying goodbye to Naina and Aalekh, Abhi crossed to the jeep, taking his seat behind the wheel. Raj hugged Naina one last time before kissing her forehead. Forcing himself to step back he headed towards the jeep, getting into it before his emotions could betray him.

As he looked in the rearview mirror he could see them watching the car disappear, one of Aalekh's arms around Naina's shoulders.

He kept watching until they were out of sight, hoping that it wouldn't be the last time he saw them.

/

Meanwhile they were not the only people on the move, Ritu Mishra had been shifted from her jail mid morning, and as she sat in the back of the prison van with a slightly bored expression on her face, she wondered how long this pretence would last for.

She expected that by the end of today she would be free, either it would be reported that she had escaped or her death would be faked, there was no way that she would ever actually reach trial, she knew far too many compromising things about far too many people.

For this reason she wasn't surprised when the van pulled over to the side of the road and the guards gestured to her to get out. She stood calmly as they undid her handcuffs, waiting for the next instructions. Ritu wondered where it was that they would send her, a new city or even a new country. No matter where it was, her job would remain the same. She had trained for years to become a spy, they wouldn't allow her expertise to go to waste.

It was then that another vehicle pulled out and a man got out, one of her regular contacts. He singled to the guards that they could leave and getting back into the van they drove away.

"So where to next?" Ritu asked the man, "What plans are there for me?"

"I'm afraid that this is the end of the road for you, Dr. Mishra." The man informed her, his expression unchanging as he pulled out a gun. "You've been compromised, you're far too much of a liability for us to be able to keep you alive."

"You're joking, right?" she spat out at him, "After all of these years, all of my service to your group…"

"You've always known the way things are." He told her, his expression still unchanged. "You knew the risks when you agreed to work for us."

She moved quickly but not quickly enough, even as she lunged towards him in an attempt to take the gun he fired, the bullet lodging close by to her heart. The impact pushed Ritu backwards and she stumbled, but her adrenaline was enough to keep her going and even as he fired again, hitting her in the abdomen this time, she grabbed the gun out of his hands, pointed it at his head and pulled the trigger.

As he fell to the ground dead, she slumped onto the road, weak from the loss of blood. On such a deserted road, Ritu knew that there was no hope of getting medical help in time. Even if she was to drive the car she was likely to pass out from blood loss on the way.

She wondered whether she should regret the decisions she had made in life, whether if she had made a different decision she could be living a peaceful, happy life today. In the end it didn't matter, it was impossible to change the past and her fate had been long since written.

Ritu's hours were numbered, but she wouldn't go down without a fight. After so many years of loyal service if they could betray her this way then she wouldn't let them live in peace. She had always known there was a possibility they would betray her one day and that was why she had been gathering evidence against them for many years now.

As Ritu searched the dead man's coat, she found his mobile phone and smiled. She would have her revenge, even if it was from beyond the grave.

/

When Raj and Abhi pulled up at the gate of Gehlot's residence the guard looked at them coldly, gesturing them to step out of the car.

"Lala Saheb isn't home right now." He told them, "I'm afraid I can't allow any visitors to enter."

"We haven't come for Lala Saheb," Raj informed the guard, "I've come to see my sister Sherry… I heard she was getting engaged soon and I wanted to congratulate her."

The guard hesitated, obviously wondering whether he would get in trouble for letting them in.

"I'm sure Lala Saheb could have no objection to us visiting," Abhi told the man persuasively, slipping a large note into his hand.

"Alright, but make it quick." The guard finally told them, waving them both inside.

They pulled up in front of the house, both of them bounding up the steps, ignoring the protests of the stunned door man who obviously hadn't been expecting any visitors.

"Sherry! Where are you?" Raj called out as soon as they had entered, "Sherry!"

She appeared on the upstairs level, staring down at both of them in shock as if unable to believe they were there.

"Bhaiyya, what are you doing here?" she asked him even as she hurried down the steps. Looking at Raj's face she saw his expression, the anger simmering beneath the surface, "Abhi, you didn't…"

"He did, and it was about time too." Raj told her, "So many things you hid from me and for so long. Today all of that is about to end, today I've come to do what I should've done long ago."

"Bhaiyya, what are you talking about?" Sherry asked him, suddenly scared, "You can't challenge him, you know what he'll do, how powerful he is. I won't allow you to put yourself at risk, to put Naina at risk."

"It's not your decision to make!" Raj snapped at her, "I know what my responsibilities are and I know that I'm not allowing you to stay in this house for one moment longer. Pack whatever you want to take with you, we're leaving."

Sherry looked from him to Abhi and back again, barely able to believe it. She wanted to go with him so desperately, but at the same time she knew what the consequences of such a decision would be.

"Bhaiyya I can't…" she told him tearfully, "You know I can't."

"I don't want to hear any excuses!" Raj yelled, "Abhi, follow me up to Sherry's room, we'll pack her things ourselves if she won't do it."

Abhi nodded, and grabbing Sherry's hand, followed Raj up the stairs. As they surveyed the room, trying to decide where to start, she suddenly sighed.

"I really can't talk you out of this, can you?" she asked Raj.

"No you can't," he informed her, "I might not have been the brother to you that I should've been but I'm not going to abandon you to this hell. Today I'll fulfil my responsibilities."

"Then I'll take a picture of Ma with me…" Sherry finally announced, "I don't want anything else from his house."

Taking the picture in a frame that sat by her bedside she put it into a bag and slung it over her shoulder.

Seeing that she had finally agreed, Raj relaxed and reaching out put his arms around her, hugging her warmly.

"It'll be alright, I promise you." He told her, "Nothing will happen."

She nodded mutely, hoping that he was right. Giving her a reassuring smile, Abhi reached out to take her hand again and they followed Raj down the steps and towards the exit.

It was when she saw the figure standing in the entrance hall that she realized of course it couldn't really be that easy.

"So you thought you would visit my house without even bothering to meet me?" Gehlot asked Raj and Abhi, his eyes sweeping over them before coming to rest on Sherry, the bag over her shoulder and her hand in Abhi's. Abhimanyu tightened his grip on her hand as if afraid that she might change her mind and let go, taking a protective step in front of her.

Raj also took a step forward, trying to keep his stance neutral. "I came to see my sister," he told Gehlot, "I've realized she's not happy here… and I'm taking her with me."

"And Sherry has agreed to this?" Gehlot asked with his eyebrows raised, "She changed her mind so easily?" He took a step forward, "I think it would be best if Sherry and I had a little chat together before she makes a final decision."

Stepping sideways, Abhi placed himself firmly in front of Sherry, still gripping her hand tightly as she stood behind him. Raj stepped forward yet again, placing himself in Gehlot's path.

"Enough is enough, Lala Saheb." He told the older man, for the first time allowing the anger he felt to shine through. "I'm taking my sister with me, I won't allow you to torture her more than you already have."

"Torture her?" Gehlot laughed, "I don't know what tall stories she's been telling you but you have no idea how much of a liar she really is. You don't really believe what she said, do you?"

"Oh I believe every word of it." Raj told him, "And you're lucky that I'm only here today to take her with me, because if I was to do what I really wish to…"

"Oh it's like that is it?" Gehlot asked casually, "Don't be an idiot, Rajveer. You know you can't challenge me, you know what the consequences will be."

"Yes I do know… and that's the only thing that's stopping me right now." Raj told him, practically spitting out the words in anger, "Don't worry though, whether it's me or somebody else, one day you'll be made to pay for everything you've done."

"I can't allow you to take her with you." Gehlot told them dismissively, "She's too much of a liability for me. Take your friend and go, and we'll forget that this ever happened."

"Neither of us are leaving unless Sherry goes with us." Raj refused to budge, standing his ground, "Whether you like it or not."

"Then perhaps neither of you will be able to leave at all…" Gehlot started to say before the ringing of his mobile disturbed him; annoyed, he took it out of his pocket, checked the number and answered it. "Call me back later…" he told the man shortly before a frown appeared on his face, deepening as he listened. "You're sure?" he asked the man, his expression turning to one of rage. "Send the helicopter now, do you hear me!"

Hanging up the phone he turned to the three of them, his face red with anger. "You have no idea who you've messed with." He announced to them, "I may have forgiven you for challenging me about Sherry but what you've done now can never be forgiven."

"What have we done?" Raj asked, not only confused about the accusations but also sensing exactly how much more dangerous the situation had just become.

"What did you think? That if you expose me you'd win? That I won't escape?" Gehlot laughed, "Within a couple of hours I'll be out of this country and nobody will be able to to touch me. However I can't allow all of you to escape after what you've done, it will ruin my credibility."

Ignoring the tug on her arm as Abhi tried to pull her backwards, Sherry stepped forward. "So somebody finally managed to expose you, good," she spit out at him, "I hope you die like the rat you are."

His eyes flashing with anger, Gehlot pulled a gun out from the holster underneath his jacket, pointing it at her.

"This is all because of you," he announced, "If you'd just kept your mouth shut then this wouldn't have happened you little…"

In the blink of an eye, Raj had also pulled out his gun, pointing it at Gehlot.

"Don't even think about it," Raj told him, "If you want to stay alive then put your gun down."

"Oh I'm sure that you could kill me," Gehlot told him with a sneer, "But could you do it before I kill Sherry, or perhaps your only remaining friend? Think about it!" he told Raj.

The next sequence of events happened so fast that it passed in a blur. Whirling around, Gehlot fired a shot at Raj who ducked just in time, rolling on the floor to escape it, dropping his gun in the process. Turning back around, Gehlot fired a shot in Sherry's direction even as Abhi pushed her out of the way, the bullet lodging in his arm and both of them knocked to the floor by the impact.

Cursing his ill luck, Gehlot turned back to Raj who had now reached his gun and was already raising it. Seeing that Gehlot was about to pull the trigger, Raj fired almost blindly, hitting the older man in the shoulder. As he stumbled backwards, Gehlot raised his gun intending to fire on Raj and this time prepared, Raj fired again hitting Gehlot square in the chest. On the impact, Gehlot dropped his gun and Raj quickly kicked it away, still keeping his own trained on the man. Even was close to death, Raj still didn't trust him not to try and take revenge on them.

Bleeding to death on the floor, Gehlot smirked, and then began to laugh.

"If you think that I regret what I did for even a minute, then you're wrong." He told them, "It was all worth it."

They were the last words he said as the light left his eyes. Edging forward cautiously, Raj checked his pulse and after confirming that he was dead, finally put the safety back on his gun and stepped back before hurrying over to Abhimanyu and Sherry.

"Are you alright?" he asked his friend, "Let's get you to a hospital."

"Now I wish I was one of those girls who wore dupattas so that I could've bound it with something," Sherry said miserably, tears in her eyes as she looked at both of them.

Abhi laughed before he could stop himself, "That's why I love you," he told her, "You can find something to joke about even in the worst situations."

"Just wait," she told him, finally pulling a handkerchief out of her bag and tying it around the wound tightly, thankful for Dr. Shalini's first aid classes. "I promise you it's clean."

Raj couldn't help shaking his head at the two of them. Even after everything that had happened, they could still joke with each other like this.

"Now let's really get you to a hospital," he told Abhi, "If you pass out on the floor from blood loss then neither of you are going to find it very funny."

As they both helped him to stand, Sherry glanced over to where her father lay dead on the floor. She wondered if it made her a bad daughter that she felt no sorrow for him, in fact all she felt was relieved. Even in the very last moment he had shown no remorse, no regret at what he had done… he had deserved this death.

"It really is all over, isn't it Bhaiyya?" she asked Raj as they walked towards the jeep slowly, after Raj had called the police and instructed the guards not to enter the house.

"It finally is." Raj told her as he helped Abhi into the front passenger seat.

They had all suffered enough for an entire lifetime, and after so many years of pain it seemed unreal, almost as if it was a dream.

As he pulled out of the driveway and headed towards the gate, Raj passed his cell phone to Sherry.

"Call Naina and tell her we're safe," he instructed Sherry, "Tell her that there's nothing more to fear."

Today, Navin's memory had finally been done justice.

A shadow had passed from all their lives.


	51. Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

Sherry had gone to sleep on Raj's shoulder while they waited for Abhi to wake up. The operation had been completed successfully with no complications and the doctors had announced that with a proper amount of rest he would recover in no time at all, but that due to the anaesthetic he probably wouldn't wake up until the morning.

Raj thought it would be best if he remained asleep anyway, he doubted that Abhimanyu had slept much the night before even despite being told he needed to get some rest.

The police had already finished with their preliminary questions but when Colonel Shakti had wanted Raj to come to headquarters to file a full report, he had put his foot down. Gehlot was dead, whatever needed to be done could wait. Right now he needed to be in the hospital and he wasn't moving from there.

Eventually Raj's eyes closed as well and he drifted off to sleep, only waking up to the early morning dawn to see a vision that made him think he was still dreaming.

There in front of him stood Naina, Aalekh slightly behind her with one hand on her shoulder. Raj carefully shifted Sherry off his shoulder, standing up and walking towards them.

As Aalekh stepped away, Raj put his arms around her, hugging her tightly to him and burying his face in her neck. He hadn't realized how badly he needed her there until he had seen her, the last couple of days had been almost too much for him to handle alone and now that she was here he felt as if he could finally relax, let his feelings out.

Naina smoothed his hair with one hand as he held her, understanding how he must be feeling at this moment. Despite what Gehlot had been, for a long time Raj had regarded him as a mentor, and he had just shot this man dead. So many truths had been revealed in such a short time that it must have been overwhelming.

"I didn't expect you to come here," he told her, still not letting go of her, "You didn't tell me you were."

"Aalekh and I left as soon as we received Sherry's call." Naina replied, "We knew you would all need our support at a time like this."

Raj nodded, finally letting go of her and leading her to the seats, putting his arm around her shoulders after they had sat down.

"How's Abhimanyu now?" Naina asked, "There were no complications in the surgery were there?"

"He'll be fine, in fact with any luck he should be awake soon in a couple of hours." Raj told her and she nodded, relieved.

Beside them, Sherry stirred, stretching and rubbing her eyes before she opened them, blinking in surprise.

"Bhabhi, when did you get here?" she asked, a smile on her face as she looked at Naina.

"Just a few minutes ago." Naina announced.

"The others will be here soon too." Aalekh said as he arrived back, handing two cups of steaming hot coffee to Raj and Sherry.

"Who else is coming?" Sherry asked him, sipping her coffee gratefully.

"Pooja called me while we were on the way," Naina explained, "She'd heard about your father on the news. Once she knew, she called everybody else and they're all on their way here."

Raj smiled, his cadets knew the true meaning of friendship. Beside him, Sherry smiled too, her eyes teared up slightly and she wiped at them. She anxiously glanced at the door in front of them as if willing Abhimanyu to wake up.

"Does he really need to sleep for so long?" she asked almost plaintively, "Doesn't he know that we're all sitting on these uncomfortable chairs waiting for him to wake up?"

Raj shook his head at her, she was never going to improve.

Before Abhimanyu could wake up, the rest of the cadets arrived and their reunion was so noisy that it could be heard throughout the corridors of the hospital.

"Our missed call is back with us again!" Pooja had announced happily, giving Sherry a hug before she walked over to peek into Abhimanyu's room, "But when is Abhimanyu Sir's cross connection going to be solved?"

"Soon hopefully," Raj told her, "He should be waking up any minute now."

Noticing the worried look on Sherry's face, Yudi began telling her about his holiday, knowing that it was probably best to keep her distracted until Abhimanyu woke up. Even knowing that he was fine it would still be difficult to keep waiting. They all continued telling stories, even managing to get Sherry, Naina and Raj laughing at some of them when the nurse who had been checking on Abhimanyu exited the room, announcing that he was awake and could have visitors, but that they shouldn't tire him out too much.

Although she had immediately stood up when she heard the news, Sherry looked at Raj before moving forward. He gave her a nod and a smile, telling her to be the first one to visit him. She smiled back at him before heading for the door, hesitating for only one second before she opened it.

The normally exuberant Abhimanyu looked paler than usual lying against the pillow and she paused as she entered the room, thinking about exactly what he'd gone through for her. Things could easily have gone badly, she could've lost him. After so many years of fear and suffering it was hard to believe that it was finally over. She was free… free to live her life as she wished to, free to love whoever she chose.

Seeing her come in, Abhi stretched out one hand towards her, and she took it, holding it in her own and sitting in the chair beside the bed.

"How are you feeling?" he asked her, squeezing her hand.

"Shouldn't I be asking you that instead?" Sherry frowned, placing her other hand on his forehead as if to check his temperature.

"I'll be fine, it's not the first time I've been shot." He told her almost dismissively, "I want to know how you're doing, after everything that has happened…"

She realized that he was talking about her father and nodding in understanding, gripped his hand a bit tighter. "It's confusing… but I mainly just feel relieved." She told him honestly, "Is that bad of me?"

"No, it's perfectly understandable." He told her gently, "Sherry you don't need to feel sad about your father's death. That man tortured you mentally and emotionally, he deserved to die for everything he did."

She nodded silently, looking down at their joined hands, and he smoothed his thumb across her knuckles.

"I love you." She announced suddenly. Despite everything that they'd been through, it was the first time that she'd actually said the words. Before now there were reasons to keep it hidden, reasons to avoid saying it. Now that all of those reasons were gone, she felt an enormous relief that she'd finally voiced it, gotten it off her chest.

A grin spread across Abhi's face at the words and he tugged on the hand that he was holding, pulling her so that she had to leave her chair and perch on the side of his bed instead. He gestured for her to come even closer, and she leaned towards him, placing her ear close to his mouth as if to hear some secret.

"Marry me." He said to her, and from his tone of voice she wasn't sure whether it was a request or a command.

She didn't know whether her heart should leap or sink, there were still reasons… many reasons why she shouldn't say yes.

"I'm still a traitor's daughter." She told him, "It will still shame your family, your kingdom, if you marry me."

"I didn't care before and I don't care now, I know you'll prove yourself to be much more than Lala Gehlot's daughter." He told her, "You've proven yourself to be a patriot already."

"Your parents won't accept me." She continued protesting, "They'll hate me."

"They'll love you," he reassured her, "They'll spoil you completely."

"I'm not princess material," she protested yet again, "I don't even know how to wear a sari, I look stupid wearing them."

"I don't need you to wear saris," Abhi told her, his smile growing wider with every excuse, "You can wear jeans every day for all I care. You'll be a modern princess."

Sherry stopped, almost out of excuses now, truthfully she was having a hard time thinking of them when she so badly wanted to say yes. "You're my teacher," she finally told him, "I can't get married to you while you're my teacher… and I still need to graduate."

"I'm going to ask to be reassigned," Abhimanyu informed her, "Even I don't think it's proper for us to have a relationship while I'm posted at KMA. And we'll wait to get engaged until you've graduated."

Sherry was silent, a small smile tugging at her lips as she looked at him, an answering smile on his. Looking down, she played with the fingers of the hand she was holding, not saying anything.

"No more excuses?" he finally asked her, and she shook her head, not looking up. He smirked at her, letting go of her hand to touch her cheek gently. "Then why aren't you saying anything?"

"I thought girls were supposed to go all shy at moments like these," Sherry replied, looking up with her eyes sparkling, a mischievous grin on her face.

Abhimanyu laughed, and making one gesture, signalled for her to hug him which she happily did, careful not to touch his injured arm.

"Now call your brother and Naina inside," Abhi told her, "I want to make this as official as possible."

Nodding, Sherry leaned forward and kissed him briefly on the lips before giving him a final grin and leaving the room, a definite spring in her step.

Raj saw his sister come out of the room in a completely different mood to how she'd gone in. By the grin on her face and the happiness in her eyes, he could guess what might have happened.

"So Chauhan Saheb is awake and talking then?" Raj asked, and she nodded, still grinning.

"He wants to talk to both you and Bhabhi," she told Raj, still trying to hide a grin and failing.

Taking Naina's hand, Raj led her into Abhi's room where his friend sat propped up with pillows behind him, a contented smile on his face.

"I believe you wanted to discuss something with me, Chauhan Saheb." Raj began, his lips twitching as he tried not to smile, already having guessed what it was.

"Well yes, Raj, I do." Abhi told him, still looking happy but a bit self conscious. "Would you both like to sit down?" he gestured to the plastic chairs beside the bed. Naina tried not to smile at his formality considering the current circumstances.

"I'd like to do this all properly in future…" Abhi started to say, "You know, with all the correct customs, but for now I wanted to at least announce my intentions. I've asked your sister to marry me… and after a great deal of persuasion, she has said yes."

Raj immediately got up from the chair he had sat down in, hugging his friend warmly. "So when should I start calling you jiju then?" he asked, grinning from ear to ear.

"Not for awhile," Abhi told him, "She still has to complete her training and graduate… after that we'll get engaged."

"I couldn't have wished for a better brother-in-law." Raj told him, "I know you'll keep her happy, you've been there for her when she needed you."

Standing up, Naina briefly put her hand onto Raj's shoulder before heading towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Abhi asked her, wondering why it was that Naina was heading out without saying anything.

"Just one minute and I'll be right back," she promised him, before opening the door to the corridor where all the cadets waited, Sherry with an expectant smile on her face.

Walking over to an orderly, Naina pulled out some money and handed it to him. "Can you buy some sweets, and distribute them to all the staff?" she asked, trying not to grin as she said it. "We need to celebrate some good news."

"Nainaji… I know we're all happy that Sherry's father is dead… but should we really be buying sweets to celebrate it?" Huda asked, somewhat clueless about what was going on.

Seeing the way that Naina and Aalekh were now grinning at each other and how Sherry had been attempting not to smile for the last few minutes, Pooja immediately hit Huda on the side of his head.

"Missed call… she's not buying sweets for that. We're celebrating Sherry's connection being fixed with Abhimanyu Sir!"

Once upon a time this comment would've caused Huda to go into a sulk but today he smiled widest of all as he and Yudi broke into cheers, Pooja hugged Sherry and Ali gave her a polite congratulations.

"Why are none of you more surprised?" Sherry suddenly asked, looking at them suspiciously, "You weren't supposed to know about this, I mean I know Huda did but…"

"Oh please, it was obvious." Yudi broke in, "Maybe it took us all awhile to figure out but by the end we well and truly all knew. Do you think that if Huda has the brains to figure it out that we don't?"

"Oy, Tere to…" Huda began to say, as Yudi ducked behind Sherry.

"Let's all go and give our congratulations sms's to Abhimanyu Sir," Pooja announced cheerfully to try to break up the fight before it started.

They all crowded into the small hospital room and Abhi looked at them in surprise, not having realized that they'd all arrived while he was asleep.

"Congratulations, Sir!" Pooja told him happily, "We came here worried that your network was failing and now we're celebrating you making a new connection!"

Naina hid a smile at Pooja's way of putting it as she saw Abhimanyu look a little bit embarrassed. After all it wasn't everyday that a teacher's students congratulated him on his love affair.

"Ah, thanks Cadet Ghai." He told her a bit uncertainly, "But you know it's not…"

"We want a party, Sir!" Yudi broke in, "You can't refuse to give us one after such good news!"

"Yes, party!" Huda agreed, "Otherwise we won't give our blessings!"

Abhimanyu laughed at this, "It's going to be awhile before you have to give your blessings, Cadet Huda. As of now nothing is official… in fact the party is going to have to be a goodbye party, I'll be leaving KMA soon."

"Leaving, Sir? But why?" Ali asked him, obviously concerned.

"Well under the uh, circumstances, it wouldn't be very professional for me to remain as your teacher." Abhi told them, "I'll still come back to visit from time to time, you certainly won't be seeing the last of me."

Sherry looked down at his words, she had known that he would have to go but was dreading it all the same. He locked eyes with her, giving a reassuring smile as if to say that he would never be far away if she needed him. She smiled back and looked around the room. When she had first joined KMA she couldn't have guessed what she would gain, true friends who would stay by her side, a caring family in Raj and Naina and a partner who understood and loved her.

From now on no matter what challenges came in life she was capable of facing them, and Sherry truly believed that after all they had been through, now would be the beginning of the best times.


	52. Epilogue

Epilogue

Naina adjusted her sari in front of the mirror before checking her hair, turning around to see Raj buttoning up the shirt of his formal uniform before adding his cravat. Crossing the room she went to help him, gently adjusting it until it was just right.

Tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear, Raj leaned down to gently kiss her, able to feel her smile against his mouth.

"Don't get distracted Captain Shekawat, or we'll be late for the ceremony." She told him teasingly.

"How can I help it when my wife is so beautiful?" he asked her flirtatiously, "If you would just stop distracting me then I could continue getting ready."

He was just about to lean down to kiss her again when a sound disturbed them and Raj glanced affectionately at the bed where their daughter sat clapping her chubby little hands.

"You approve of daddy flirting with mummy don't you, Asmi sweetie?" Raj asked her, reaching down to pick her up even as she raised her arms to him, asking for a cuddle. He tossed her in the air as she giggled before settling her in his arms, planting kisses on her little face.

Asmita was a gorgeous child, loved and spoiled by everybody at the academy including Brigadier Chandook. Six months after Asmi's birth, Naina had resumed her studies, leaving her daughter in Dr. Shalini's care during college hours. Shalini had been thrilled to help out, she had always wanted a child and after the divorce from her husband had come through she had needed a distraction. The little girl had once again brought a smile to her face and she was the same enthusiastic and cheerful Shalini that they all knew and loved.

"Are you ready to see all your aunties and uncles graduate?" Raj asked Asmita as she patted his face with pudgy little fingers. She was already dressed in her best frock and had been excited since waking up, having realised that something big was happening.

"Ready to see your Aunty Sherry become the best cadet?" Naina asked Asmita as she took her daughter in her arms, smoothing the little girl's hair.

"It'll be good practice for the day when she becomes best cadet herself." Raj commented proudly as he fixed up his uniform. "It runs in the family you know, little one. You'll have to follow in your Uncle Navin and Aunty Sherry's footsteps."

Naina laughed at this. "Don't get ahead of yourself Raj, there's plenty of time for her to decide what she wants to be."

"Whatever it is that she decides on… we'll be proud of her." Raj promised, leaning across to kiss first Naina's cheek and then Asmi's before checking his watch. "What time is your mother arriving?" he asked.

Now that Navin's innocence had been proven, Naina's mother had agreed to finally return to KMA. Both Aalekh and Sherry had become like her children and she wouldn't have missed their graduation for anything.

"She should be arriving in half an hour." Naina replied, settling Asmita on her hip. "And Abhimanyu?"

"I'm not sure… he promised to be on time and he had better be or Sherry is going to kill him." Raj commented. He certainly wasn't going to stand up for Abhi against his sister's anger if his friend was late.

After his release from hospital, Abhi had requested a transfer. His mission at KMA was over and he knew that it wouldn't be proper for him to remain there while he was in love with one of the students. The cadets had organised a huge farewell party for him and there had been quite a few tears shed when he had finally left.

Since then he had kept in constant contact, calling at least every few days to speak to Sherry, Raj and Naina, with Raj joking that he was going to spend the entire kingdom's fortune on phone bills. Abhimanyu had returned for Asmita's birth and had ensured that as far as possible his holidays matched with KMA's so that they could all spend time together. Last term break he had insisted on them all coming to Barmar with him so that his parents could finally meet Sherry. The meeting had gone well but she had been so intimidated by the surroundings that in the week they spent there she had worn salwar kameez every day without a single complaint about the dupatta. 

It had been an opportunity for Raj and Naina to formalise matters with Abhi's parents and the roka had been performed with an agreement that the engagement would take place after graduation, the wedding some time afterwards.

Finally ready, they exited the room, running into Shalini in the corridor who was also dressed in her formal uniform.

"Can you believe that our cadets are finally graduating today?" she asked excitedly, "It seems like only yesterday that they arrived at the academy for the first time."

It might have seemed like yesterday but in that time all six of their favourite cadets had matured considerably. Pooja still talked in her mobile lingo but from a girl who had come to the academy chasing a lost boyfriend she had become a dedicated soldier, ready to serve her country. Ali still had the same principles but somewhere along the way he had learnt to relax, due mainly to the influence of Pooja and his friends. He was now more likely to choose his actions based on what the outcome would be rather than what the rules were.

Huda was still the most popular boy in the academy and still flirted with as many girls as possible but he had learned that love was not about possession and that the most important thing was to be a good friend. Yudi was no longer the insecure and uncertain young man he had been when he entered the academy. He now had confidence in his own abilities and the support of his friends and teachers had shown him that being a man was more about what was on the inside of a person than their appearance. Aalekh was practically unrecognisable compared to the angry young man who had entered the academy two years ago. While he would still use tapori language around his friends, Naina's English and Hindi tutorials had paid off and he could now confidently speak like an army officer. The love and affection he had received from Naina's mother had had an obvious effect too. He was now more settled, and much happier in life.

As for Sherry, apart from Aalekh, her change had been the most drastic. When she had arrived she had been sullen, hostile and angry at everyone and everything and especially herself. Now she joked and laughed with her friends, gossiped with Naina and Pooja and doted on her niece. Despite the changes in her, she still had a sarcastic retort for anybody that was foolish enough to mess with her. After her father's death and Abhi's departure she had dedicated herself to her studies, truly earning the best cadet award that she was to receive today.

Raj and Naina met Naina's mother at KMA's entrance, and Asmita happily went into her arms, excited to see her grandmother again. From there they headed to the parade ground where the ceremony was to take place, Raj and Shalini joining the rest of the faculty on the dais and Naina and her mother heading for the audience where they greeted the rest of the cadets families. Saving a seat beside her for Abhimanyu, Naina glanced around. Ali and Pooja's families were seated together, chatting to each other. Huda and Yudi's families sat nearby and as soon as Neelu saw Naina and her mother sit down she came over to join them, sitting next to Mrs Ahluwalia and playing with Asmi.

The ceremony was about to begin and Naina had just glanced around anxiously for about the hundredth time when somebody sat down in the seat next to her. Glancing at him briefly she was just about to tell him that it was reserved when she did a double take, staring at the person beside her.

He just grinned back.

"What happened to your hair?" Naina asked Abhi, indicating his now short hairstyle.

"I felt like a change… I'll be getting engaged soon after all, it's time I looked a bit more responsible." He said then laughed and added, "That and my mother threatened to cut me out of the official photos if I didn't."

Naina joined him in his laughter and was about to reply when Brigadier Chandook stood up, signalling that the ceremony was about to start.

Naina met Raj's eyes across the distance and they smiled at each other as they listened to the speech before she turned to see their cadets lined up and ready to graduate. By the end of the ceremony Naina was wiping tears away from her eyes and looking around she saw that she wasn't the only one as her mother was also dabbing at her eyes with a handkerchief. Abhimanyu also appeared to have tears in his as he gazed at Sherry taking the oath, the love he felt clearly written on his face.

As soon as the ceremony was over, Naina watched as the cadets made their way over to Raj and Shalini, hugging them and taking their blessings before heading over to where their families were seated. Raj came back with one arm around Sherry's shoulders, one around Aalekh's and an extremely proud look on his face. She was chatting cheerfully to him when she finally spotted Abhi in the crowd and letting out what looked like a surprised gasp she made an excuse to Raj and began to run. Standing up, a grin already on his face, Abhi stretched out his arms just in time as she ran into them, squeezing her tightly and lifting her off the ground.

"I swear I didn't miss a single minute of the ceremony," he told her when he had finally put her back down, still clutching one of her hands. "You can ask Naina for proof."

"I believe you, I know you would never have missed this." Sherry told him, "Nice hair by the way."

"You like it?" Abhi asked, a bit self consciously, "Actually I thought it was time for a change…"

"Don't lie, your mother threatened you to get it done." Sherry replied, a mischievous grin on her face. "She's been telling me to convince you as well."

They were all laughing when Raj and Aalekh caught up to them, Aalekh immediately bending down to touch Mrs Ahluwalia's feet who then gave him a warm hug.

Abhimanyu and Sherry were still catching up, his arm now around her waist as she looked up at him, and Aalekh and Neelu were now chatting to Naina's mother about their next plans now that he had graduated.

Taking a step back from them, Naina came to stand next to Raj who placed his arm around her shoulders, hugging her as she leaned on him slightly.

"I was just thinking… how incredibly lucky it is that Brigadier Chandook forced you to bring me to KMA." Naina told Raj softly as she looked around her. She had made so many new friends here, had received so much love and affection. Now she had a complete family and so much happiness that she almost didn't know what to do with it. She was bound to all of these people with inexplicable bonds, ones that she could never explain. They were a part of her now, part of her identity, and her happiness was very much connected to theirs.

"It was the luckiest day of my life." Raj agreed, looking down at her with love. "So many things have happened as a result of that day."

They stood there in a comfortable silence, watching the people that they loved. Life had been unfair to them in the past, it had tested them many times, given them tragedies and disappointments. In many ways it had been the shared pain that had bound her and Raj together in such a close relationship. However Naina had a feeling that the worst had passed, that from now on all of them would receive all of the happiness they deserved.

"Bhabhi, Bhaiyya, are you going to stand there all day or are we going to go join the party?" Sherry called out teasingly as she and Abhimanyu started to walk back towards the main academy along with Naina's mother and Asmi and the rest of the cadets.

From now on she would not look back at the past with regret, not when their futures were so bright.

Naina took Raj's hand and together they began to walk forward.

Life was waiting, and they would not be left behind.


End file.
